Editorial

As science progresses rapidly in this age of modern technology, new treatments for diseases frequently surface. A number of these treatments are hot-button topics in the medical world. One of these treatments is gene therapy. Gene therapy is used to fix genes responsible for the development of diseases. Although there are a few bright spots, there are a vast number of negative aspects concerning gene therapy. The American public must rally together to stop this procedure from continuing.

First, the price tag of gene therapy is extremely high. The high cost often makes gene therapy prohibitive For example, in order to treat infants with Epidermolysis Bullosa (a rare skin disease that causes intense blistering), the first year alone of gene therapy may cost up to $100,000. Additionally, Scientists have also begun developing gene therapy for treatment of the HIV virus they estimate that the minimum cost will be $100,000. Many Americans simply cannot afford such an expensive treatment. This cost is also in addition to the other medical bills that families may already have stacked up. This also increases the gap between the rich and the poor in American society. The rich can easily purchase the treatment, while the poor will struggle to scrounge up the money, lucky to perhaps get a loan.

Additionally, for certain kinds of gene therapy, there is a risk of permanently altering the human gene pool. In one type of gene therapy commonly called germ-line therapy, the injection of new genes has a very high risk of altering the person's eggs/sperm. When these reproductive genes are altered, they are passed down to the person's descendants in their altered form. Then, the descendant passes the mutilated genes down to their offspring and so on, and in a few hundred years, there will be no more normal genes in the human gene pool. Additionally, this is not an irregular circumstance. Many scientists and research organizations agree that we do run a large risk based upon their findings in various case studies.

Next, the mortality rate is very high for experimental gene therapy. Since this is the only method of gene therapy currently in use that means that the overall mortality rate is very high. As many as 652 people die every year from experimental gene therapy. One example of this is Jesse Gelsinger. He died on September 17th, 1999. He was part of a gene therapy experiment for embryotic stem cell research. Within two days of receiving the treatment, he suffered brain damage and organ failure and went into a coma. He died shortly after.

Finally, the immune system may attack the cells injected in the body during gene therapy, and these cells may attack vital organs. The human immune system is designed to attack and destroy any and all intruders. Depending on the different experiments, the immune system may respond in a variety of ways to the procedure. One possible response is for the immune system to self-destruct, and begin attack vital organs, such as the liver or heart. · There have been more than 800 gene therapy studies involving 5,000 U.S. patients since the NIH (National Institute of Health) approved the nation’s first human gene transfer study in 1989. Yet there are no approved therapies despite 17 years of research. Therefore, we have no way of knowing how the human immune system will react to the therapy.

Because of all these reasons, Americans must join in the race to stop gene therapy. This is an extremely dangerous procedure, and can cause permanent harm for the entire human race. Currently, there is little action from the American public leaning for or against gene therapy. If the public begins to protest, gene therapy stands a greater chance of being stopped in its tracks. We must stop gene therapy before its harmful effects spread across the globe.