Abstracts Health Sciences

Ethical questions in human germ-line gene therapy

by Imre. Szebik

Although the first steps in somatic gene therapy have already taken place, research on human germ-line gene therapy still remains taboo. However, the first protocol aiming to cure defective genes of mitochondria in germ cells has been published recently. Germ-line gene therapy is an entirely new method. Its effects and impact on future generations differ considerably from those of somatic gene therapy. A systematic and critical analysis of the arguments for and against germline gene interventions, such as "playing God" and moving on the slippery slope to enhancement will be elaborated. Special attention will be focused on the irreversible changes of the genome of future generations as well as on ethical considerations raised by different therapeutic and experimental possibilities, such as In Vitro Ovum Nuclear Transplantation (IVONT) or the creation of transgenic organisms.