Human Gene TherapyWhat is human gene therapy? Human gene therapy is a procedure used in an attempt to cure genetic and other diseases. Many ethical, social and safety concerns are raised regarding the use of human genetic engineering. Gene therapy techniques will introduce copies of a “healthy” gene into the body's cells. The disease will be controlled if the introduced genes function normally. This is called somatic gene therapy because it introduces the gene into a somatic or body cell. Any cells that could divide to form sperm or eggs will not have genes introduced into them through somatic gene therapy. The insertion of a single gene into the somatic cells of an individual with a life-threatening genetic disease is somatic cell gene therapy. This type of therapy has the exclusive aim of eliminating the clinical consequences of the disease. Future generations should have no problems because the inserted gene is not passed on to them. Germline gene therapy involves inserting a healthy gene into the fertilized egg of an animal that has a specific genetic defect. This has been successfully done in several animal studies. The new gene is obtained in every cell of the body, including the reproductive cells. There are three huge technical problems that prevent this technique from being considered for use in humans. "The first is that scientists have no way to diagnose genetic diseases in the fertilized egg. Second, the procedure used most often to insert genes into fertilized eggs - injection with a microscopically guided glass needle - has a high failure rate and third, the The problem is the lack of control over where the gene is inserted into the genetic machinery of the embryo… middle of the paper… n health insurance by age, gender, wealth and so on we should have the opportunity to perform human gene therapy techniques. I also believe that the cost of the human gene therapy procedure should be in the price range of anyone who needs the procedure. Human gene therapy should not be available only to an elite group. Human gene therapy should be used in fetuses if the disease is recognized and if that fetus is in danger of dying. I think human gene therapy will have a good impact on our society, research can be done to improve the techniques of this procedure. References Anderson, WF, Science, vol 256 pp 808-813, 8 May 1992. Human Gene Therapy.Nichols, EK, Human Gene Therapy, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts (1988) PP 1-251.