Regulatory Concerns with Gene Therapy and Recombinant Therapeutic Proteins

Knowledge gained from genetic research and the human genome project has created opportunity to understand human disease and to discover new modes of therapy. Gene therapy offers hope for the treatment of conditions such as cancer and AIDS as well as for genetic diseases and defects. In spite of the benefits of gene therapy, concerns exist about the long term implications of treatments that involve the manipulation of the human genome. Ethical questions have been raised about the rights of future generations as well as about the protection of individual rights if genetic information becomes available to health insurers and employers.