Averting abnormal inheritance: potential of gene therapy and preimplantation diagnosis.
Serious inherited disease in children can be averted by preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) and potentially by gene therapy in addition to prenatal diagnosis. PGD is now well established and provides a secure, if expensive and complex form of care. Gene therapy has been practised only in animals, although its success in alleviating various conditions in adults and newborns, together with the scientific drive of the genome project, make it a highly likely approach over coming years. Pros and cons of both approaches are contrasted and compared. Newer reproductive techniques such as somatic cell hybridization promise to add new dimensions to gene therapy, and could be combined with PGD. This paper discusses the finer details of these options, their safety and the ethical issues they have raised.
Thrasher
Adrian J
AJ
Consultant in Paediatric Immunology, Molecular Immunology Unit, Institute of Child Health, 30 Guilford Street, London WC1N 1EH, UK. a.thrasher@ich.ucl.ac.uk
Edwards
Robert G
RG
D000818:Animals; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro; D030342:Genetic Diseases, Inborn / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy*; D015316:Genetic Therapy / Q000379:methods / Q000639:trends; D006801:Humans; D019836:Preimplantation Diagnosis; D018456:Reproductive Medicine / Q000639:trends