Koblentz Gregory D
Schar School of Policy and Government, George Mason University, Arlington, Virginia, USA.
mSphere. 2018 Mar 7;3(2). doi: 10.1128/mSphere.00040-18. eCollection 2018 Mar-Apr.
This article evaluates the scientific and commercial rationales for the synthesis of horsepox virus. I find that the claimed benefits of using horsepox virus as a smallpox vaccine rest on a weak scientific foundation and an even weaker business case that this project will lead to a licensed medical countermeasure. The combination of questionable benefits and known risks of this dual use research raises serious questions about the wisdom of undertaking research that could be used to recreate variola virus. This analysis also raises important questions about the propriety of a private company sponsoring such dual use research without appropriate oversight and highlights an important gap in United States dual use research regulations.
本文评估了合成马痘病毒的科学和商业依据。我发现,将马痘病毒用作天花疫苗所宣称的益处建立在薄弱的科学基础之上,而该项目将产生一种获批医疗对策的商业理由则更为薄弱。这种两用研究的可疑益处与已知风险相结合,引发了对于开展可能被用于重现天花病毒的研究是否明智的严重质疑。该分析还对一家私营公司在缺乏适当监督的情况下赞助此类两用研究的正当性提出了重要问题,并凸显了美国两用研究监管中的一个重要漏洞。