used it to treat a young girl with an inherited immune system disorder. Since then, thousands of patients with many different diseases have received somatic therapy. It has yet to totally cure one person (Svitil 1998). Even though somatic therapy has a bad record, Anderson wants to make sure that germ-line techniques prove safe and reliable in lab monkeys, and the public understands and approves of the procedure. Anderson said, "In principle, I'm for it on the most fundamental of grounds: human nature. None of us want to pass on to our children lethal genes if we can prevent it, and that will drive germ-line therapy. It is going to happen. The issue is when it is safe, and when is it ethical (Svitil 1998)." Anderson biggest concern is about the proposed use of germ-line therapy for "enhancement" rather than for curing disease. The same concern was given by John Fletcher of the University of Virginia, who had the same views with Anderson in a paper he wrote in 1980. The paper was about the ethics of gene therapy in humans. Anderson, and Fletcher want germ-line therapy to be used for medical use only and not because someone wants to alter the height or eye color of their offspring.Personal ResponseI feel this is a very interesting subject. I have read several articles about cloning but have never read about germ-line therapy. It works and someday becomes a reality, I think that it will be very beneficial to man kind. If disease could be wiped out, just think what possibilities this would entail. Germ-line therapy could make the quality of everyone's life much better with much less suffering....
