This Site Search Web pages plus publications Contact Us Privacy Statement Site Stats and Credits Quick Links to this page Definition of Gene Therapy Hurdles in Gene Therapy Ethical Issues in Gene Therapy Articles about Gene Therapy Gene Therapy Links Definition of Gene Therapy Gene therapy is a novel approach to treat, cure, or ultimately prevent disease by changing the expression of a person's genes. Gene therapy is in its infancy, and current gene therapy is primarily experimental, with most human clinical trials only in the research stages. In somatic gene therapy the recipient's genome is changed, but the change is not passed along to the next generation. In germline gene therapy, the parents egg and sperm cells are changed with the goal of passing on the changes to their offspring. Germline gene therapy is not being actively investigated, at least in larger animals and humans, although a lot of discussion is being conducted about its value and desirability.
Many people falsely assume that germline gene therapy already is being done with regularity.
News reports of parents selecting a genetically tested egg for implantation or choosing the sex of their unborn child may lead the public to think that gene therapy is occuring. Actually, in these cases, genetic information is being used for selection. No cells are altered or changed. For more on germline engineering, see Website . Hurdles in Gene Therapy Gene therapy is very young and experimental.