Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
mBio. 2020 Aug 7;11(4):e01868-20. doi: 10.1128/mBio.01868-20.
Proponents of the use of gain-of-function (GOF) experiments with pathogens with pandemic potential (PPP) have argued that such experiments are necessary because they reveal important facets of pathogenesis and can be performed safely. Opponents of GOF experiments with PPP have argued that the risks outweigh the knowledge gained. The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrates the vulnerability of human societies to a new PPP, while also validating some arguments of both camps, questioning others, and suggesting the need to rethink how we approach this class of experiments.
支持使用具有大流行潜力的病原体（PPP）进行功能获得（GOF）实验的人认为，这些实验是必要的，因为它们揭示了发病机制的重要方面，并且可以安全进行。反对使用 PPP 进行 GOF 实验的人则认为，风险大于所获得的知识。COVID-19 大流行表明人类社会容易受到新的 PPP 的影响，同时也验证了双方的一些论点，质疑了其他论点，并提出需要重新思考我们如何对待这一类实验。
