The current clinical revolution. Applications of gene therapy in treatment of disease.

A major technological revolution is on the horizon that promises cures for inherited diseases such as cystic fibrosis, sickle cell anemia, muscular dystrophy, hemophilia, leukocyte-adhesion deficiency, and Gaucher's disease. This revolutionary technology also promises effective treatments for acquired diseases such as cancer and AIDS. The technique is gene therapy and it has already been used in humans. Some applications raise ethical considerations that not only affect the individual who is treated but have implications for future generations as well.