Human Genetic Intervention: Past, Present, and Future - Is Human Nature Obsolete? - page 382

• The genetic “repair” of sperm or egg cells to prevent disease.
• The genetic “repair” of preimplantation embryos to prevent disease. 24
Conclusion
There are no easy answers to these breathtaking technological possibil-
ities—either in one or a hundred chapters. Perhaps what we will need to
do is commit ourselves to procedures and modes of deliberation that
allow us to be prepared for such possibilities when they become actual.
The first step will be both academic and political; it is exemplified by
this volume. It involves calm, rational, anticipatory, and interdisciplinary
discussion—discussion that also involves members of the public. The
second step will be primarily political, but one hopes that it will not lose
touch either with academia or the will of the general public. In order to
be ready for and to cope with the genetic technologies of the future, we
will need transparent, flexible, and vigorous oversight systems.
Notes
An earlier version of this chapter was presented in March 2001 in Berlin,
Germany, at the international conference on “The Impact of Genetic Knowledge
on Human Life,” cosponsored by the Deutsches Referenzzentrum für Ethik in
den Biowissenschaften. See LeRoy Walters, “Genforschung und Gesellschaft:
Erwartungen, Ziele und Grenzen,” in Ludger Honnefelder, et al., eds., Das
genetische Wissen und die Zukunft des Menschen (Berlin: Walter de Gruyter,
2003), 152-166.
1. These data were derived from the Web site of the Office of Biotechnology
Activities at the NIH. (www.od.nih.gov/oba/).
2. Marina Cavazana-Calvo, Salima Hacein-Bey, Genevieve de Saint Basile, et al.,
“Gene Therapy of Severe Combined Immunodeficiency (SCID)-X1 Disease,”
Science 288, no. 5466 (April 28, 2000): 627-629; and Salima Hacein-Bey-Abina,
Francoise Le Deist, Fredoriove Carlier, “Sustained Correction of X-Linked Severe
Combined Immunodeficiency by ex vivo Gene Therapy,” New England Journal
of Medicine 346, no. 16 (April 18, 2002): 1185-1193.
3. See, for example, Sheryl Gay Stolberg, “Trials Are Halted on a Gene Therapy
Experiment,” New York Times , October 9, 2002, A1, A20; Salima Hacein-Bey-
Abina, Christol von Kalle, Manfsed Schmidt, “A Serious Adverse Event after
Successful Gene Therapy for X-Linked Severe Combined Immunodeficiency,”
letter to the editor, New England Journal of Medicine 348, no. 3 (January 16,
2003): 255-256; and Rick Weiss, “Second Boy Receiving Gene Therapy
Develops Cancer,” Washington Post , January 15, 2003, A9.