[Gene therapy, gene pharmacology: concepts, fields of application, problems].

Gene therapy represents a new strategy for the treatment of genetic disorders, of viral infections and of cancer. At the present time it is still an experimental phase. However, it is assumed that gene therapy will belong to the spectrum of established therapeutic procedure in the next century. Gene pharmacology is an extension of traditional pharmacology. Chemical agents will be to given to patients with viral infections with the goal to impair the expression of the viral genes. Not only ethical aspects but also biological and medical considerations are hurdles in the realisation of germ-line gene therapy.