Changing hopes and concerns about gene therapy in Japan

Abstract

The attitudes that the public in Japan have to gene therapy were surveyed through the use of opinion surveys in 1991, 1993, 1995, 2000 and 2003. This paper presents the results of these surveys on different groups, and in particular examines the open comments that people made in response to being asked whether they would personally use gene therapy if they were suffering from a fatal disease. The optimism towards gene therapy among the public in Japan is similar in 2003 as it was in 1991, with over half agreeing to use gene therapy upon themselves if tests showed that they were likely to get a serious or fatal genetic disease later in life. The level of enthusiasm was also similar in national random surveys of natural scientists in 1991 and in 2000. The major reasons for this support were to save their own life, and a variety of other reasons are described. There is also a presentation of the titles and content analysis of articles on gene therapy published in Asahi Shimbun newspaper over the same period. The attitudes, policy and regulation are discussed.