MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY 
CENTER FOR CANCER RESEARCH 
77 MASSACHUSETTS AVENUE, CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS 02139 
Room E17-113 
Tel. 617/253-6401 
December 26, 1979 
Dr. Donald Frederickson 
Director, National Institutes of Health 
Bethesda, Maryland 20205 
Dear Don, 
I received a copy of the proposed revised Guidelines on Recombinant 
DNA published in the Federal Register November 30, 1979. Since the 
proposal requests comments from interested scientists I take the 
liberty of making the following brief comments. 
In my opinion the proposed revisions are definitely a step forward 
and should enhance the development of recombinant DNA research and 
its application to practical as well as basic science problems. It 
seems to me that the process followed by NIH, moving gradually in 
directions warranted by factual experience, is an excellent model for 
the interaction of regulatory agencies with the scientific community. 
The very stringent provisions of the first guidelines were, I believe, 
desirable not just because of public concern but also because of the 
uncertainty of the situation and the possible unknown elements that 
might have emerged. Today, experience has shown that the dangers 
that might have been feared did not materialize. The usefulness of 
the technology has been confirmed beyond expectation, but this by 
itself may not have justified relaxation of controls were it not 
because of the excellent record of safety. 
Allow me to say that the record of NIH in this matter has been a 
model of wisdom and sensitivity to public concern and the demands of 
science . 
Sincerely 
sel/na 
S. E. Luria, M.D 
Director 
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