Hajety oj retrovirus gene therapy, Temin, 
recipients are more at risk from infections and cancer (Blohme,1985). Patients given can- 
cer chemotherapy may have a later cancer induced by the chemotherapy 
(Whitehouse,1985). However, there is little safety concern about these therapies, because 
the conditions that are being treated are life-threatening and the risks are only to the 
patients themselves. 
Somatic gene therapy of human disease with retrovirus vectors is now only 
being considered for extremely serious and life-threatening diseases (Anderson,1985; 
Walters, 1986). If such therapy is successful, there is a slight possibility of cancer appear- 
ing later as a result of the therapy (see later). Since a higher probability of cancer is not a 
deterrent to other therapies for life-threatening conditions such as kidney failure and can- 
cer, it should not be a deterrent to the use of somatic gene therapy for life-threatening 
human disease with retrovirus vectors. 
However, the major public concern about somatic gene therapy of human dis- 
ease with retrovirus vectors seems to relate to the formation of new viruses and the use of 
recombinant DNA, concerns not relevant to these earlier therapies. Since AIDS results 
from infection with a retrovirus, this concern is not surprising. 
Another relevant event was the response to the swine flu immunization 
campaign (Neustadt and Fineberg,1978). This campaign resulted in several law suits for 
rare complications correlated with the immunization. This outcome indicates the mistrust 
of some of the US populace for the health care system and the willingness of the legal 
system to provide means of recourse for perceived injuries. 
Also relevant are the problems that arose in 1986 over the release of genetically 
altered bacteria and viruses (Sun,1986a,b). In California this release involved bacteria 
modified to protect plants against frost, and in Texas the release involved a live virus vac- 
cine containing a deletion made with recombinant DNA techniques. In both cases there 
was much Dublicitv. investigations, removal of permits, and other effects. 
Recombinant DNA Research, Volume 12 
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