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Email to Adam Pasick  Fox News  Feb 11/00
Re: gene therapy

I thought your article was well balanced. I was glad to learn that James Finn had been helped but am mindful of the death of Jesse Gelsinger and the recent revelation that other deaths in gene therapy experiments had gone unreported although most deaths, but definitely not Jesse's, seem to have been due more to the underlying disease rather than the therapy. This does not make one inclined to put a lot of trust in the scientists conducting the experiments, however.

I get the impression that scientists promoting gene therapy and xeno transplants are rushing headlong into a potentially dangerous technology motivated more by the patent possibilities for those who get there first than the safety and effectiveness of their procedures.

The development of human stem cell technology has progressed to a point that it seems we should postpone xenotransplantation indefinitely and pursue this safer method of helping people in need. It is tragic that political pressure from "right to life" proponents has prevented government sponsorship of this promising avenue of research and would have us discard unwanted human embryonic tissue rather than use it to culture more with the potential of saving human lives. The ultimate solution would seem to lie in using adult stem cells from a patient's own body to grow whatever is needed, but that seems to be a bit farther in the future.

An even better way to promote health is to persuade people to nourish and exercise their bodies wisely in order stay healthy. Unfortunately, there is no patent or pot of gold at the end of that route.

Thanks for your excellent article.
Bina Robinson, Dir. CIVITAS: Citizens for Planetary Health
POB 26 Swain NY 14884