Gene therapy fuss begins to cool

WASHINGTON - The hurricane that has engulfed gene therapy research for the last five months isn't over yet, but signs have emerged from the Recombinant DNA Advisory Committee (RAC), FDA, and Congress that the storm will not consume the field. Regulators, researchers and politicians are pulling back from extreme measures that were proposed in the immediate aftermath of Jessie Gelsinger's death and revelations of widespread disregard for NIH reporting guidelines.

During their three-day meeting last week, members of the RAC reiterated their hopes that gene therapy can make important contributions to medicine and that reasonable measures can be taken to minimize risks to patients. They also said that FDA should take the lead in regulating gene therapy...