The evolving concept of gene therapy

The use of molecular techniques to correct human genetic diseases is a concept that was considered extremely remote by many investigators until quite recently. Several factors were responsible for changing the scientific community's attitude toward gene therapy: the development of recombinant DNA technology including the ability to clone disease-related genes; maturation of scientific and ethical reflection following apparent failures of early human experiments; and the development of efficient techniques for the transfer of genes into mammalian cells. Now is the time for the scientific and medical communities to come together and to cooperate to make human gene therapy a clinically useful procedure.