However, with germline gene therapy, a gene is inserted into the DNA of an egg or sperm so that children of the patient will have the inserted gene. Dr. Anderson explained that there are two proposed ways to attempt germline gene transfer. One is to insert the gene into the pre-embryo and the other is to target germline cells in the fetus, child or young adult. However, the technology to carry out either procedure in a safe manner does not now exist. Therapy occurs in response to illness, when a person is below what is considered a healthy state, and the attempt is to bring the person up to normal.
Enhancement is the idea of trying to go from 'normal' to above normal.
He explained that genetic engineering should be used for medical purposes only. The final category, eugenic genetic engineering, is defined as the ability to modify complex human traits such as body structure, personality, intelligence, etc. Since its existence, there have been some medical benefits recorded as a result of gene therapy. There was also a success recorded in a case of a limb ischaemia where genetic material was injected into the muscles of affected limbs and stimulated blood vessel growth quickly enough to restore blood supply where, in some cases, patients would otherwise have faced amputation. Success has also been recorded in reducing the size of head and neck tumors.