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- BAYLOR 
COLLEGE OF 
*’Fl 
MEDICINE 
Texas Medical Center 
Houston, Texas 77030 
Robert ). Kleberg, Jr. 
Center for Human Genetics 
(713) 799-4773 
October 1, 1984 
Dr. William J. Gartland 
Executive Secretary, RAC 
National Institute of Allergy 
and Infectious Diseases 
National Institute of Health 
Bethesda, MD 20205. 
Dear Dr. Gartland: 
I wish to comment on the August 21st letter of Mr. Jeremy Rifkin to Dr. 
Bernard Talbot regarding transgenic animal experimentation. 
Dr. R. Brinsten and his collaborators have made major contributions to 
our understanding of tissue specific gene expression. Their important 
studies have assisted investigators who have interest in improvement of 
animal stocks. 
This knowledge from this analystic method will be important to our 
understanding of mammalian gene regulation. 
Dr. R. Jaenisch has made a significant advancement toward the study of 
mammalian development genes via transgenic insertional mutagenesis. 
These important studies provides an improved means of identifying, and 
characterizing mammalian development in genes. Undoubtedly development 
genes of the mouse will have their equivalent genes in man. At a time 
when study of Birth Defects in man is calling for innovative research 
directions, we would be short sighted to restrict this research. 
Investigators developing gene therapy approaches to human heritable 
diseases would be tremendously set back by Mr. Rif kin's proposal. We 
have already learned a great deal about the feasibility of somatic gene 
therapy for man by the successful transfer of E. coli, hamster, and 
human genes into intact mice. Undoubtedly the efficiency, safety, and 
sensibility of human gene therapy will be determined by study in the 
mouse. If transgenic experiments are prohibited, the effort to 
development of human gene therapy would be sever ly and adversely 
affected. 
Mr. Rifkin has proposed to stop Research and Development from transgenic 
research on emotional grounds. He has not examined the tremendous 
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