Adam Dillon C, Magee Daniel, Bui Chau M, Scotch Matthew, MacIntyre C Raina
School of Public Health and Community Medicine, UNSW, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Biodesign Center for Environmental Security, Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA.
Influenza Other Respir Viruses. 2017 Jul;11(4):306-310. doi: 10.1111/irv.12458. Epub 2017 Jun 24.
The risk and benefits of gain-of-function studies on influenza A have been widely debated since 2012 when the methods to create two respiratory transmissible H5N1 mutant isolates were published. Opponents of gain-of-function studies argue the biosecurity risk is unacceptable, while proponents cite potential uses for pandemic surveillance, preparedness and mitigation. In this commentary, we provide an overview of the background and applications of gain-of-function research and argue that the anticipated benefits have yet to materialize while the significant risks remain.
自2012年发表创建两种具有呼吸道传播能力的H5N1突变分离株的方法以来,甲型流感功能获得性研究的风险和益处一直备受广泛争议。功能获得性研究的反对者认为生物安全风险不可接受,而支持者则列举了其在大流行监测、防范和缓解方面的潜在用途。在这篇评论中,我们概述了功能获得性研究的背景和应用,并指出预期的益处尚未实现,而重大风险依然存在。