Risk Assessment in Gene Therapy

Abstract

Gene therapy is an attractive and promising technology which holds bright prospect of curing the genetic as well as other diseases by introducing the synthetic (correct) gene directed and intended to replace the defective gene responsible for that particular disease. A number of methods to introduce the gene are being developed for which various viral and non-viral vectors are being improvised to act as safe vehicles or carriers. With more and more research being done on ushering the human civilisation to the era of gene based therapies, it has become an ethical issue if alteration of genome is right apart from questioning the risks associated with such genetic intervention. The preparation of the final draft of human genome project has further boosted the morale of prospective gene therapists. There is a call for weighing the pros and cons of gene therapy before it is adopted in practice. While progress in medicine has solved many problems facing humanity, it has led to many new ones. There is no reason to believe that this ambivalence will cease to exist with respect to future application of gene technology in medicine. A sober and differential assessment of the chances and risks of this new technology is therefore necessary.