Gene Therapy's Dark Ages

Gene therapy is based on a simple-sounding, yet deceptively complicated premise: adding or replacing faulty genes to fix medical problems. A compelling idea that came out of breakthroughs in DNA research, the field grew lightning fast. But the death of teenager Jesse Gelsinger after a gene therapy clinical trial left the public and scientists questioning the field's promise.

Why did researchers push ahead with clinical trials despite gene therapy still being  in its infancy? What does the Jesse Gelsinger story tell us about the personal risk behind medical breakthroughs?

Credits Host: Alexis Pedrick

Executive Producer: Mariel Carr

Producer: Rigoberto Hernandez

Associate Producer: Sarah Kaplan

Audio Engineer: Samia Bouzid

Music by Blue Dot Sessions

Resource List American Experience: The Boy in the Bubble. PBS.

Begley, Sharon. "Out of Prison, the 'Father of Gene Therapy' Faces a Harsh Reality: a Tarnished Legacy and an Ankle Monitor." STAT News, July 23, 2018.

Cobb, Matthew. As Gods: A Moral History of the Genetic Age. New York: Basic Books, 2022.

"C‑SPAN: Paul Gelsinger." C‑SPAN.