NEW YORK POST 
New York, N.Y., 6/23/76 
Issue Some Rules on Making New Genes Out of Old 
l 
By BARBARA YUNCKER 
The federal government to- 
day put strict limits, effec- 
tive Immediately, on what 
kinds of genetic research can 
be done In government med- 
ical research laboratories 
and outside laboratories 
which receive federal grants. - 
The new rules will prohibit 
putting genes together from 
different species of bacteria 
If risky disease organisms 
are Involved; If the combina- 
tion were to Insert drug re- 
sistance Into a disease mic- 
robe or if the combined 
genetic material would have 
the possibility of creating 
potent poisons. 
The regulations were Is- 
sued today In Bethesda, Md., 
by Dr Donald S. Fredrickson, 
director of the National In- 
stitutes of Health, the medi- 
cal research arm of th^Dei*; 
of Health, Education and 
Welfare. 
Fredrickson said the rules 
apply specifically to the lab- 
oratories at NIH and to Us 
grantees and contract -hold- 
er. 
era. But It Is expected that 
they will be adopted geni- 
ally throughout the U.S. and 
abroad, he aald. 
The rulea are to control an 
area of study called recom- 
binant DNA research. DNA 
deoxyribonucleic acid Is the 
basic molecule of living mat- 
erial and In Us various form* 
It determines all the individ- 
ual characteristics of every 
species, as passed on through 
heredity. 
Scientists are now learning 
to l«*4.v segments of DNA 
from on*.* species of living 
organiain — so far only bac- 
GLOBE- DEMOCRAT 
St. Louis, Mo., 6/24/76 
Curbs put 
on tinkering 
with genetics 
NEW YORK TIMES 
New York, N.Y., 6/24/76 
Guidelines Issued to Curb 
Genetic Research Hazards 
By HAROLD M. SCHMECK Jr. 
Sp«d4l to Tbt New York Tlanei 
WASHINGTON. June 23 — (Others, graded safety precau- 
Guidelines to govern revolu- 
tionary and potentially hazard- 
ous genetics research were is- 
sued today by the National In- 
stitutes of Health for distribu- 
tion to American scientists and 
to scientific societies and gov- 
ernments throughout the world. 
lions are described in detail, 
including the kinds of organ- 
isms that can be employed and 
the types of laboratories in 
which the work may be done. 
The studies deemed most po- 
tentially hazardous to the sci-* 
entists, the public and the 
The research in question hasienvironment are to be done 
been called one of the most ex- only in high security laborator- 
citing frontiers of biological 
science. Some aspects of it, 
however, have been deemed so 
potentially dangerous to public 
health that scientists adopted 
ies to minimize the risk of any 
of the research material getting 
out. 
In such laboratories, supplies 
could be moved in and out 
a moratorium on some experi-| 0n ]y through airlocks; all dis- 
cerns. icarded material would have to 
Certain experiments are pro- 
hibited for the present. For Continued on Mge 31), Column < 
Guidelines Issued on Genetic Research Hazards 
Continued From Page 1, Col. 3 11 m 'ght. for example, prove to be only 27 laboratories in 
possible to transplant into com- the United Stales capable of 
be sterilized before removal; mon bacteria the human genes meeting the standards for the 
the ventilation system would { bat govern production of the highest security level in the 
filter all outgoing air and keep hornion ^ insulin. If successful, guidelines. The cost of build- 
the laboratories at lower nres- L his could tremendously simpli- ing a new laboratory of this 
tne laboratories at lower pres fy lhe industrja , pro duction of sort was est.mated at about 
sure than the outside so that insulin for diabetics. S750.000 by an expert at the 
no unfiltered air could escape. If some of these hypothetical institutes, 
j The guidelines made public insulin-producing bacteria es- The guidelines have purposely 
'today are the culmination of caped from the laboratory, been kept flexible and will be 
about three years of intense de- however, and infected I men and reused when new knowledge 
bate among scientists and some global ham < ’° Unpre ' warrln “ chan * es ’ Dr 
laymen. 
son said. 
At a news conference today, answer to questions at the Among experiments barrel 
Dr. Donald S. Fredrickson, news conference today. Dr. altogether for the present are 
director of the N.I.H.. said that Fredrickson said it was possible those that would transplant 
several countries were consid- t0 imagine situations involving genes for the production of 
ering national guidelines to manner of potential dangers powerful poisons into common 
govern research of the same from recombinant DNA work, and nQ w harmless bacteria, 
sort and that these were likely but wa<; n ° l possible now to experiments that would make 
to follow closely the guidelines estimate their probability of oc- dangerous germs resistant to 
promulgated today. curring. if indeed there was the drugs currently used 
The scientific studies and ex- an Y probability at all. against them and deliberately 
periments that have drawn Moratorium Supplanted released into the environment 
such great international inter- - d n , UDnIant the of anv or 8 anisTT1 containing a 
f sl moratorium established by the recombinant .DNA molecule, 
ly called recombinant DNA re- . . IhP m tf | vp , ah out two The guidelines generally limit 
search. In these experiments experimental production of 
pieces of the genetic material JLndations f or t he research recombinant material to small 
DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) ™ • , . meetine amounts so as to minimize nsk 
fr0m H mp^^r^nd^tranSDla^u 6 ^in^abforma^The of contamination outs.de the 
)0,ned together and transplant- new jdelines are somewha , laboratories, 
ed into living ceUs. W.th this mor( , % lnct and consjderab | y -n, e new guidel.nes w,l apply 
kind of recombination and more de[ajled and speci f jc lha n to all research in this field sup- 
transplantation. 8*"®* f the ear) , er interim recommen- ported by the N.I H.. which is 
plants animals or even man d { according to scientists the Federal Government s main 
could be grown m bacteria. a t the N I H agenev for the conduct and 
Potentially, a living organism Af P5pnr thprp arp sieved suddoH of biomedical research. 
such as a bacterium could be K 
given traits and capabilities 
that it never has in nature. 
Dr. Frederickson said that the 
techniques were of tremendous 
potential power and that scien- 
tists wanted to use that power 
in an extremely conservative 
fashion. 
On the positive side, scien- 
tists have suggested that such 
research might revolutionize 
agriculture, the production of 
drugs and the understanding of 
many baffling diseases. On the 
negative side. recombinant 
ONA experiments might con- 
ceivably loose on the world 
qerms more deadly and difficult 
to control lhan any produced 
in nature. 
tefia which tie single-celled 
and combine it In the teat- 
•jb* with DNA from another 
specie* and thus create a 
' new fgrm of bacterial life 
It 1* thl* potential which 
has raised enor/f»owi ethical 
conoerii In the acientific con 
munlty, with soma members 
calling for a halt on all auch 
genetic tinkering. 
The guide lines Issued to- 
day alop abort of a total ban 
on DNA recombinations, but 
go further than NIH had 
originally indicated it would 
do. 
The regulation*. In addi- 
tion to banning aorne experi- 
ments altogether, limit to 10 
liters the culture* of recom- 
binant* which are known to 
have the capacity to create 
harm. 
The new rule* will put a 
damper on an area of re- 
search which hold* out tre- 
mendous promise as well as 
possible peril*. 
The technology offers un- 
paralleled promise of deciph- 
ering the mechanisms of a 
variety of hereditary defects 
Continued on Page 1H 
Rules Are Issued 
For DNA Labs 
Continued from Page 5 
and the possibility of control- 
ling them through more so- 
phisticated genetic manipu- 
lation than the bacteiial 
work now going on. 
The technique also offers 
the potential of turning bac- 
teria into tailor-made gener- 
ators of protein* and hor- 
mones which could be used 
to treat metabolic diseases. 
Tne new guidelines provide 
for continuation of experi- 
ments with these goals K 
they can meet the standards 
for safety. 
Tie fear Is that such re- 
combinants could devastate 
whole plant or animal popu- 
lations If they were to pro- 
liferate beyond the labora- 
tories and apecies exposed 
to them had no resistance. 
The NIH also announced 
that it was undertaking an 
assessment of environmental 
Impact by the kinds of re- 
search its rules will permit 
to continue — under the Na- 
tional Environmental Poucy 
Act c*f 1969. 
APPLETON POST-CRESCENT 
Appleton, Wis . , 6/23/76 
Guidelines issued to try 
to keep genetic tests safe 
[ 575 ] 
