along with a history of the subject since the 1970s. The third 
section summarizes the Points to Consider. Lastly, the fourth 
section is a listing of materials available for the non- 
specialist who may be further interested in human gene therapy. 
She then asked the RAC members to express their opinions on the 
document within the next month so that the document can be 
finalized by the subcommittee at its December 7, 1987, meeting 
and brought forward to the next RAC meeting. 
Mr. Mitchell then called on Dr. Walters for any further comments 
on the topic of human gene therapy. Dr. Walters said the lay 
document had attempted to list articles, books, and videotapes 
which the general public could find useful and understandable. 
If committee members had any recommendations, the subcommittee 
would appreciate them. 
Dr. Walters said that two members of the subcommittee, 
Drs. Alexander Capron and James Childress had recently been 
appointed to the Congressional Biomedical Ethics Advisory Board. 
One of the first topics the Board will review will be human 
applications of genetic engineering; and Dr. Walters said the 
membership overlap between the subcommittee and the Congressional 
committee will provide for excellent liaison between the RAC and 
the work of the Congress. 
IV: PROPOSAL TO ADD BACILLUS STEAROTHERMOPHILIS TO APPENDIX C-V 
(tabs 1290/11 , 1295) . 
Mr. Mitchell called on Dr. Clewell as primary reviewer. 
Dr. Clewell said the proposal had come from Drs. Richard Novick 
and June Polak of the Public Health Research Institute of the 
City of New York requesting B. stearothermophilis be added to the 
list of gram-positive bacteria in Appendix C-V of the NIH 
Guidelines. He noted that recombinant DNA molecules are 
considered exempt if they are derived entirely from 
extrachromosomal elements coming from members of the list in 
Appendix C-V and if they are propagated and maintained in one of 
the organisms on the list. 
Dr. Clewell said the criteria for inclusion on the list is 
generally a demonstration of inter-species transferability of 
extrachromosomal DNA, and that exchange of this species with 
B. subtilis had been demonstrated via transformation. He added 
that certain plasmids in B. stearothermophilis closely resemble 
certain other plasmids found in B. sphaericus and Staphylococcus 
aureus which are already on the list. He concluded that the 
experimental evidence was sufficient and recommended that the 
request for inclusion of B. stearothermophilis be approved. 
Recombinant DNA Research, Volume 13 
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