Help for people with cystic fibrosis, hereditary anemias and immune system disorders may become available within the next few years. Other problems that could become treatable include very high inherited levels of blood cholesterol, other errors of metabolism and juvenile diabetes. If you had treatment for a gene that wasn't working, it would affect only you and not your descendants. But you would know to look for the same problem in your children or other family mem- bers. Keeping good family health records about medical problems that might run in your family may help prevent disease in future generations.
Many people are concerned about the ethics and possible misuse of new genetic treatments.
In addition, all gene therapy trials in this country are strictly regulated by the federal government and national review panels. Gene therapy is similar to many other medical interventions to treat disease, from vaccines to surgery, and is an exciting, advanced way to treat a disease at its cause. It does not involve making changes in the crucial sperm or egg cells that affect a patient's offspring. Many common threats to our health, including hypertension, heart disease, Alzheimer's disease and juvenile diabetes, actually have genetic components. Someday, people in affected families may be able to use gene therapy to reduce their risks of developing a disease.