Gene therapy, although a medical revolution, also carries broader societal impacts. Gene therapy is a relatively new approach to medicine. Unlike normal pharmaceuticals and drug-based therapies, which have existed for many years, gene therapy has only evolved steps behind developments in the core science of genetics. Gene therapy not only affects the patient receiving therapy or the practitioner but also has an impact on the society at large. Some of the many societal issues of gene therapy include: |  |
- Implications of increasing genomic knowledge - Is a certain amount of knowledge too much knowledge? Will this knowledge cause any ethical concerns in terms of conceptualization of health and disease, such as increased paranoia or fear of genetic disease and disorder? The reverse is also true; little knowledge is sometimes worse than no knowledge at all. If gene therapy, like some aspects of medicine, becomes prone to popular opinion, what effect will it have on its reputation with the people? Could it be exploited as a political platform, combining groups of people who are for or against gene therapy and genomic medicine?
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Gaining an understanding of identity at the individual and group levels, including race and ethnicity - In a more philosophical view of gene therapy and advancement in genomic medicine, does the ability to read and chemically alter an individual decrease or increase his or her social importance? In almost all walks of life, where a person comes from plays an important role in terms of things such as self-respect, self-confidence, and much more. If a person learns that his or her particular ethnicity is more prone to a certain disease, how would it change his or her views about themselves and others around them?
Gene therapy also brings a load of legal and public policy issues alongside it. Some of these issues include intellectual property in genomics, as well as insurance and reimbursement for gene therapy. Who determines the price of gene therapy? Who controls the monetary value of genomic medicine? The same questions inevitably lead to the topic of social justice and equality in administering and receiving genomic medicine.
The Ethical Issues of Gene Therapy After thorough analysis, the following ethical questions of gene therapy rise into consideration.
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