hey want to be treated and they will never learn of the risks and benefits of the treatments. Gene therapy, therefore, raises ethical questions: where can the line be drawn between a necessity to someone’s life, such as finding a cure for cancer, and a admirable trait that someone would like to have, such as skin color? In January of 1993, it was reported in USA Today that an 11 year-old boy was receiving gene therapy treatments at a cost of $150,000 per year to increase his height. He was 4 feet 11 inches, four inches below average height. He was tired of being picked on at school for being short. His father was quoted in the article as saying, "You want to give your child that edge no matter what. I think you'd do just about anything." (Ruggles) The Ethical, Legal, and Social Implications (ELSI) Program was established in 1990 to address issues such as these. The ELSI Program is designed to address the ethical, legal, and social part of human genetics research.Many are wary of gene therapy because it is so futuristic. People raise religious and moral concerns about messing around with our complex bodies and their natural processes. We may never fully understand these things. The treatments we do now to help people may, in the long run, hurt our society as a whole. This is why researchers must be constantly watched over by the government. We do not need them racing carelessly for profit and fame. Deaths like Jessie Gelsinger are unnecessary and should not happen. Gene therapy has a potential to save many lives. Let us realize, however, that we need to understand the dangers and proceed with research with caution. ...
