Gene therapy

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Abstract
Gene therapy is not yet possible, but may become feasible soon, particularly for well understood gene defects. Although treatment of a patient raises no ethical problems once it can be done well, changing the genes of an early embryo is more difficult, controversial and unlikely to be required clinically.The potential applications and ethical implications of gene therapy are reviewed. The author distinguishes between therapy that affects only the patient's defect and procedures on embryos that result in genetic alteration. He foresees both as eventually becoming feasible and advocates that community-wide consideration begin now on whether and how to use gene therapy. Patient experimentation based on present knowledge is rejected as unethical.