CONTENTS APPENDIXES Page 3. Copy of the Gordon Conference Letter on DNA Recombinant Molecules_ 4. Copy of the Recommendations of the National Academy of Sciences Committee On Recombinant DNA Molecules_-__- 5. Copy of Public Law 93-348-National Research Service Award Act of 6. Original Report: Genetic Engineering-Evolution of a Technological (VII) GENETIC ENGINEERING Evolution of a Technological Issue Supplemental Report I Purpose I. INTRODUCTION The purpose of this report is to: (1) provide an update of the original report to the Subcommittee on Science, Research and Development of the Committee on Science and Astronautics 1; (2) discuss the more urgent issues and their potential impact, with particular emphasis on the significant developments in molecular biology; (3) provide a selective review of the status of research in genetic engineering and closely related fields of study; and (4) provide such additional new information on the subject topic as may be of interest to the Committee in its deliberations on research and development programs. Background The 1972 Committee Report on this topic provides fundamental information on the topic of genetic engineering, the basic biochemistry of heredity, the problems in human genetics in brief, and the environmental factors of concern. The reader is encouraged to examine the 1972 Committee Report for such review information on these topics as may be desired in relation to this supplemental report. As noted in the 1972 Committee Report, genetic engineering is a broad field of biomedical research about which there is an increasing amount of criticism and concern. Genetics is the science of heredity. Engineering involves the practical application of the knowledge developed within a science. Genetic engineering should mean simply the engineering heredity. But there are so many techniques which can affect heredity that the actual scope of the term "genetic engineering" has been broadened in many discussions. An examination of the definitions offered for this term indicates that it frequently includes those aspects of molecular biology which are concerned with controlled change in some way, of the gene material within the nucleus of the cell. Whatever term is used by other authors, this report continues to discuss genetic engineering as including the knowledge associated with the topics of artificial insemination, cloning (culturing from a cell or group of cells), in vitro fertilization. (fertilization made to occur experimentally away from or outside of 1 U.S. Congress. House. Committee on Science and Astronautics. Subcommittee on Science, Research, and Development. Report prepared by the Science Policy Research Division, Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress. 92d Cong., 2d sess., Washington, U.S. Govt. Print. Off., 1972. 119p. At head of title: Committee print (hereafter referred to as the 1972 Committee Report). the organism), molecular genetics, genetic counseling, medical genetics, eugenics (improvement of the quality of a race), and the social and environmental factors affecting heredity. Not all of these topics are included for discussion within this supplemental report. Scope This supplemental report provides additional background information about the progress of research in genetic engineering in the fields of in vitro fertilization and the new knowledge and skills which are evolving in the biochemistry of the gene. The latter technique, directly dependent upon developments in molecular biology, is of particular interest at this time since progress has been so rapid in the last two years that public health issues have become critical, at least in the view of many of the research scientists most closely associated with this field. Additionally, there have been events in the work directed toward in vitro fertilization which have intensified the interest in the resolution of issues associated with fetal research generally. Legslation closely associated with these problems has been enacted and is briefly discussed. The Extent of the Problem in Human Genetics As more knowledge is made available with each passing year, it is becoming increasingly obvious that the extent of genetic disease is far greater than had been estimated previously. According to data provided by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences: An estimated 15 million Americans today suffer the consequences of birth defects of varying severity. Not all of these disorders are genetic; 20% are estimated not to contain a heritable component but represent the effects of agents such as infection, drugs, physical injury to the fetus, etc. Thus the remaining 80% or 12 million Americans, carry true genetic diseases, wholly or partly due to defective genes or chromosomes. Other estimates of the severity of the genetic disease problem indicate that: 36% of all spontaneous abortions are caused by gross chromosomal defects (amounting to more than 10,000 per year in the U.S.) At least 40% of all infant mortality results from ge- Genetic defects are present in 4.8% to 5% of all live Probably four-fifths of the 3% mentally retarded in 33% of all admissions to hospital pediatric wards are there for genetic reasons. Each of us carries between 5 and 8 genes for serious (usually lethal) genetic defects and, hence, stands a statistical chance of passing a serious or deadly condition on to each born child . Each married couple stands a 3% risk of bearing a genetically defective child... The above estimates do not take into account many of the conditions that have either been recently shown to have a ge |