questions. The medical and ethics perspectives and expertise 
represented in the RAC and in the RAC Human Gene Therapy 
Subcommittee ( "HGTS " ) , while necessary for review of the medical 
issues raised by gene therapy proposals, are simply not adequate 
to address the broader issues raised by this emerging technology. 
While we acknowledge that members of the RAC and HGTS are 
qualified in their respective disciplines, their interests and 
expertise do not encompass the broader areas of knowledge 
necessary to evaluate human genetic engineering. As acknowledged 
in the Guidelines, n [a]dvice from the RAC [to the Director] is 
primarily scientific and technical." Guidelines, § IV-C-1. 
Furthermore, RAC members — including the members of its 
subcommittees such as the HGTS — are interested primarily in 
advancing medical research and commercial applications resulting 
from that research. For the most part, they belong to 
institutions and industries interested in pursuing those specific 
goals. It is of the utmost importance that their viewpoints and 
values not be allowed to dominate those whose expertise and 
values lie primarily in protecting the interests of those who 
will be subject to, and affected by, the genetic engineering in 
question. Representatives of these interests are entitled to 
present their recommendations, caveats and reservations directly 
and independently to the Director of the NIH. 
Public and private sector employers, insurance companies, 
police authorities, and other institutions already claim a vital 
interest in knowledge of the genetic vulnerabilities and 
identities of particular individuals, including those persons 
Recombinant DNA Research, Volume 13 
[455] 
