Gene Therapy

A Focus on the Family Position Statement

Gene therapy is a method to treat a genetic disease in an individual without the traditional use of medication and surgery. Initial human clinical trials resulted in the untimely death of several patients, leading many to believe that gene therapy would not provide viable treatment options. However, after several initial failures, scientists have found safer, more effective ways of delivering genes to a person's cells or tissues.

Thanks to such improvements in gene transfer methods, gene therapy is a promising treatment for many diseases. Currently, gene therapy is the focus of human clinical trials successfully treating a variety of diseases including Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, cystic fibrosis and cancer. Unlike destructive embryonic stem cell research, gene therapy has the potential to provide safe, life-affirming treatment to those suffering from debilitating diseases. Patients, however, should be fully informed of the risks associated with such experimental treatments.

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