DecetnDer 1, 1375

Airs. Joan d. Josiii
Vice President
Ex c ii an :: e  Pro  r B :;I s ii e p a r t men t
institute of Iaternational Lducation
839 dnited Nations Plaza
dew iorlr, i4.Y. lW17

t'ear Ars. Joeni:

I nave read your interestiria "Proposal for an International Con-

ierence on tile social and dtnical Idplications of Genet ic Engineering".
'4s you knov,  tnere Lias Deer; 61 uiscuosron in both the ecientikic corrsunity
and wdrious public forums duriaq tne last tnree years on certain aspects
of tais problem.
of *xperidents rercrred to as "recoabinant 3ilA teciinology".  liowover the
safety questions, and indeed "recomoiannt ifiJA" itself, are only a liinited
part of tlid broader question oE genetic en3intterrrig, as tne cera is
gencrallj understood. i'hiire are indeed a vsriaty of issues p3sed by the
possidility trint genetic engineetinq aay oeeone ieasible at soae tine in
ttie relevant iuture. And it is approprrate that tile discussion of tnecle
issues litvalve rmij different views.

[his discassion nas eaphasizsd tne question of toe safety

L'nereiore your plan ror an international conference on these aatters,

sild tae publication ai tno cdntrioutions of that conference is a wortriwnile
undertaking. 1: was particularly pleased to see t!iat you view tha promotion
oi continuing p1oiic discassion as an important oDjective of the conference.

I worrld li~e to tale this opportunity to comaent on two state-nents in

t,ie Proposal, which, in ay view, ,aigilt be pirased sovewnat differently.
First, on the first paqe, near the bottoa, trie wording implies tnat the
spread of cancer by altered bacteria rnignt ~e an innerent daaqer in expcri-
Iie.ats now 111 progress. At least ditnin the United States, I ain unawars
t:iat sucn sx?srinents are in progress. fne Guidelines €or Kesearch witn
necornsinant 51.14 mlecules, puolis,ied i>y the National Institutes of dealtn
in June, 1975, proniort many 01 tile experi:$ients t:mt aiqnt have taz potrn-
tial for t:ie spread of genss froil oncogenic viruses. i'rlose relevant experi-
miits t:tat are taeoreticslly peraiusiole under tile Guidelines are not Fea-
aioie for NII~ grarztaes at tnis tine bacause of the lack of appropriate
csrtiiied facilities and aort-vector eyatena.

Seconcl, on page 3, in the second paraqraprl: triers is a very vide

6pectruln of views regarding tile new tecnaiques and the experiments
tneiuselves are of: varying potential iiazsrd. To classify people as
opponents or supporters, befuddles this complex issue. Further,
taoae vtio support proceediny: with experiments under the conditions
of tile guidelines, and inJe2.i those wiio favor continuing research
with less stringent, or no Guidelines, nave clearly estaDlisned their
Millinqness ti3 take part in, and tneir belief in tile appropriateness
or, puolic debate. To i,nply otnervzise is to misread the record.

?lease note tnat ;;ly views, as expressed here, are my own and are

not DO De taken as tile views of either tile National Cancer Institute
OK tne National Institutes of Yealth.

Sincerely yours,

riaxine P. Siaqer, Ph.0.
head, :Iucicic Acid Enzjwology Section
Laboratory of ijiocnenistry