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> January 21, 2000:
Hour One: Gene Therapy
According to many scientists, genetic therapy for human diseases is going to be the next big thing in medicine. Indeed, the potential for gene therapy is often cited as a reason for the Human Genome Project and other gene sequencing and mapping programs. But how close are we to a world in which genetically-based diseases, from sickle cell anemia and Huntington's disease, to some forms of cancer, heart disease, and mental illness, can be treated at their most basic level - the level of the genetic code?
To date, clinical trials have tested gene therapy against a wide range of disorders, including heart disease, arthritis, hemophilia, cystic fibrosis and muscular dystrophy, and many forms of cancer. So far, while some of the therapies have shown promise, in general they have been too inefficient to be used as actual treatments. Nevertheless, research is continuing, hoping to bring therapies based on tweaking DNA onto the market within 5 to 10 years.
On this hour of Science Friday, we'll take a look at current efforts towards gene therapy, including a trial of a treatment for Alzheimer's' disease scheduled to start soon. We'll look at gene therapy's promises, and its risks--risks made all the more apparent after the September 1999 death of a young man participating in a genetic therapy trial at the University of Pennsylvania. And we'll look at the ethics of genetic therapy, including what conditions should warrant its use. Call in with your questions and comments, as the talk turns to gene therapy on this hour of Science Friday.
Guests:
LeRoy Walters
Bioethicist
Director, Kennedy Institute of Ethics
Georgetown University
Washington, DC
Dr. Terence Flotte
Associate Professor, Pediatrics
Interim Director, University of Florida Genetics Institute
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida
Lois Wingerson
Editor-in-Chief, HMS Beagle
Author, "Unnatural Selection: The Promise and Power of Human Gene Research"
New York, New York
Books/Articles Discussed:
Related Links:
- American Society for Gene Therapy
Pittsburgh Human Gene Therapy Center, Home Page
Univ. of Pennsylvania- Institute for Human Gene Therapy
Scientific American: Explorations: Gene Therapy: 10/96
NIH - Office of Recombinant DNA Activities -
This segment produced by:
Annette Heist
Web producer:
Charles Bergquist
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