Playing With Fire: The Ethics of Germ Line Genetic Therapy

Authors

  • Christopher Kon Kam King Faculty of Medicine Dalhousie University Halifax Nova Scotia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15273/dmj.Vol25No2.3727

Abstract

Due to several recent, highly publicized advances in genetic engineering, public interest in potential human genetic therapy applications is currently very high. Some forms of genetic therapy, such as somatic cell therapy, have generally been accepted. Germ line genetic therapy, has not been as openly endorsed. In fact, currently existing restrictions ban the use of any human germ line genetic therapy. Despite these restrictions the future role of germ line therapy is far from being resolved. Research is still being conducted using animal models and knowledge is being acquired from human somatic cell research. This paper reviews the major issues that should be ad-dressed in order to properly deal with the ethical dilemmas that may arise from the use of germ line genetic therapy.
Volume 1 DMJ

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How to Cite

King, C. K. K. (1997). Playing With Fire: The Ethics of Germ Line Genetic Therapy. DALHOUSIE MEDICAL JOURNAL, 25(2). https://doi.org/10.15273/dmj.Vol25No2.3727

Issue

Vol. 25 No. 2 (1997)

Section

Original Research

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