Gene therapy in the treatment of disease

Abstract

Gene therapy or transfer is increasingly used as a therapeutic modality in diseases that span the medical spectrum. The American Academy of Allergy and Immunology and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases jointly sponsored the Symposium, "Gene Therapy in the Treatment of Disease," which was held December 6, 1993 at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The program committee consisted of Lawrence Lichtenstein, MD, PhD, (Baltimore) Chairman; Philip Fireman, MD, (Pittsburgh); Howard B. Dickler, MD, (Bethesda); William Paul, MD, (Bethesda); and Raif Geha, MD, (Boston). Eight outstanding presentations on current and potential uses of gene therapy were provided by speakers who are leading researchers in this area of broad interest and unusually promising clinical application. This report summarizes the highlights of those presentations.