Potential Risks and Benefits of Gain-of-Function Research

Potential Risks and Benefits of Gain-of-Function Research

This report summarizes a public symposium ran by the National Research Council and Institute of Medicine which discussed the potential benefits and risks of gain-of-function research.

2015

Gain of Function (GoF) studies, that enhance viral yield and immunogenicity, are required for vaccine development especially as viruses adapt and become resistant. GoF research is also helpful for adapting viruses to growth in culture and for developing essential animal models for emerging pathogens. The panelists generally agreed that GoF experiments generating viruses with increased virulence, transmissibility, and pathogenicity would prompt the use of alternatives. While this research does lower the bar for potentially malignant groups to access pathogens as a weapon, there are many other pathways they could take and this is not providing them with a unique opportunity to enter into the field of bioterrorism.