Germline gene therapy and somatic gene therapy are two quite different proposals, and the legitimate concerns and risks of the former should not be used to stall progress on the latter.

(Image: National Human Genome Research Institute) Germline gene therapy involves modifying the genes in reproductive cells (eggs or sperm) or early embryos. The introduced genetic changes are passed ...

Second, it represents only a baby step toward the ultimate goal — eliminating terrible lethal genetic diseases from families through germ-line gene therapy, which is discussed below. And finally ...

“And starting off by saying we should have a moratorium brings an important clarity to the thing.” Editing heritable DNA, or germline editing, involves using CRISPR-Cas9 or other methods to tweak the ...

Research in the field of human gene therapy is directed towards correcting genetic defects of somatic cells i.e., cells that do not contribute to the next generation. Human germ line therapy is ...

Mutations in the BRCA1 gene that are either inherited (germline) or acquired (somatic) might not be key to the initiation of prostate cancer, as previously thought, suggests the first study of its ...

However, it could also be done through egg or sperm cells (germline gene therapy), which is more controversial, as the inserted gene would pass down through the generations. While it could spare ...

Mutations in the BRCA1 gene that are either inherited (germline) or acquired (somatic) might not be key to the initiation of prostate cancer, as previously thought, suggests the first study of its ...

Resnik D B, Steinkraus H B and Langer P. J. Human Germline Gene Therapy: Scientific, Moral and Political Issues. RG Landes Bioscience, Austin , TX , 189 pages, 1999. Bock, J. H. and Langer, P. J.

most people saw gene therapy as simply a different kind of treatment for disease. However, debate continues about the ethical implications of changing germ-line cells (eggs or sperm), which would ...