The Pros And Cons Of Gene Therapy

Scientifically, in the 1990s, the Human Genome Project was not the only influential experiment that tested the boundaries of human knowledge and morality. In 1990, the United States Department of Energy and the National Institutes of Health coordinated the Human Genome Project with top scientists and researchers from the United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Japan, and China. The goal of this project was to provide researchers with the tools to understand genetic factors in human diseases. Regarding the project, James Watson says, “I think that the scientific community, if it wants to be ethically responsible to society, has to ask whether we are spending research money in a way that offers the best go at diseases” (Kevles and Hood 165). Even top scientists were aware of the

However, not all headlines associated with genetics during the decade were positive. In 1999, Jesse Gelsinger died while participating in a gene therapy experiment with intents to discover more about the ornithine transcarbamylase deficiency he suffered from. “Until Jesse died, gene therapy was a promising idea that had so far failed to deliver. As scientists map the human genome, they are literally tripping over mutations that cause rare genetic disorders.... The initial goal was simple: to cure, or prevent, these illnesses by replacing defective genes with healthy ones” (Stolberg). Gelsinger’s death was a tragedy in the world of science and exposed the nation to the harmful consequences of gene therapy and other genetic manipulations. “Such incidents suggest that the road ahead in treating major diseases - even with knowledge of the human genome - will be far from smooth” (Greenberg). Furthermore, his death reveals the many complications attributed to the many unknowns still present in experiments manipulating the properties of