Question

Describe some specific failures of gene therapy trials, which have negatively affected public opinion and slowed the development of gene therapy techniques in medicine. How have researchers tried to solve the problems associated with these failures?

Answer 1

Two US institutions ran a gene therapy in which a teenage died in 1999 and agreed to more than $1 million in settlement. In 2005 a gene therapy trail for arthritis carried out by US company targeted genetics was halted when the death of 36 year old participant happened.

Hundreds of failed gene therapy experiments including deaths of patients raise concerns in the field to carry out more gene therapt trials. Gene therapy is normally carried out on terminally ill patients, so it is unclear how many deaths have been caused by the technique itself. It is important to make these reports promptly so that appropriate measures can be taken by other researchers to safeguard the health of the patients.