The Genetics Revolution

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web resources
The National Bioethics Advisory Commission

The Institute for Human Gene Therapy
From the University of Pennsylvania

The A to Z Guide on Gene Therapy
From the American Heart Association

Gene Therapy Q & A
From the National Cancer Institute

Gene Therapy
From the Human Genome Program and the Department of Energy



		newsfile subjects Research The latest discoveries and the Human Genome Project Cloning Dolly was just the first. How long until humans follow? Plant & Animal Applications Why the farm will never be the same Human Applications Designer babies, maybe. But also designer treatments for your specific ailments Ethics What to do with our newfound knowledge Business The worth of the gene Timeline From discovery of the double helix to deciphering the human genome

The Hunt for the Ultimate Cure
Forget everybody else. The new medicine is all about finding a cure tailored especially for you. Interested in a shot to prevent cancer? How about a pill to cure your alcoholism or an injection to pump up your failing heart? Welcome to human gene therapy, the process of inserting normal DNA to aid missing or defective genes, which promises to be less invasive, longer-lasting and more efficient than current methods of disease intervention.

In 1990, an 11-year-old girl with the immune disease ADA underwent the first successful gene therapy treatment. Since then, the therapy has been used in trials to treat a host of other diseases, such as cancer and hemophilia. So far, it has been most successful in growing new blood vessels in heart patients.

But there are still considerable obstacles to overcome before your local doctor starts injecting you with fresh genes. One major problem is delivering the genetic material into the cells. Early trials used viruses to slip the new DNA past the body's immune system. Problems arose because in many cases the virus would transfer material in random, even harmful ways. Alternate methods aim at harnessing the body's own genetic repair processes to spot defects in the DNA, remove them and stitch in replacements.

Then there are children. Parents can already select a kid's sex and screen for genetic illness. From there it's a short step to selecting for things like intelligence, beauty and athleticism, which begins to raise disturbing ethical questions.

Though still in its infancy, gene therapy offers tantalizing possibilities. It has the potential to revolutionize medicine as we know it, adding new meaning to personalized health care.

--Elizabeth Frantz

from TIME
The Bad and the Good
Fresh doubts are cast on a troubled gene-therapy treatment even as the French hint at new advances
FEBRUARY 14, 2000

How To Mend A Broken Heart
In one of the first success stories to come out of gene-therapy research, doctors are learning how to teach the heart to heal itself
NOVEMBER 22, 1999

Smart Genes?
A new study sheds light on how memory works and raises questions about whether we should use genetics to make people brainier
SEPTEMBER 13, 1999

Fixing the Genes
Gene therapy, heralded in the early 1990s, then stalled by one setback after another, is finally starting to live up to its promise
JANUARY 11, 1999

Drugs by Design
Thanks to genetics, the pharmaceutical industry is exploding with new ideas
JANUARY 11, 1999

On the Horizon
A few of the remarkable therapies on the cutting edge of genetic research
JANUARY 11, 1999

Success Stories
Two pioneering girls eight years later
JANUARY 11, 1999

A Broken Heart
One man's search along the frontiers of cardiology for treatment of a heart mended once too often
NOVEMBER 23, 1998

The Biological Mother Lode
Scientists isolate cells that give rise to all the body's tissues, promising a flood of therapies--and protests
NOVEMBER 16, 1998

Molecular Revolution
A new generation of drugs takes aim at the very heart of cancer--the abnormal genes that make cells malignant in the first place
MAY 18, 1998

DNA Therapy
The new, virus-free way to make genetic repairs
MARCH 16, 1998

ILLUSTRATION FOR TIME BY JOHN CRAIG