Abstract

This chapter is aimed at providing the reader with an overview of the phenomenological complexity created by Gene Therapy and Germline Cell Research that has revolutionized bioethical and biojuridical debate. To achieve this goal, this chapter opens with a brief introduction to the technical highlights of Gene Therapy and Germline Cell Research and the different applications that are possible today, especially considering the innovations arising from CRISPR/Cas9 tool. The chapter continues with some reflections on the very concept of therapy, questioning the classic dichotomy between therapeutic and non-therapeutic purposes, and with an analysis of the most common bioethical and biojuridical arguments. Having established certain technical-scientific and epistemological bases, this work is intended to illustrate the complexity of ethical and social implications of Gene Therapy and Germline Cell Research and the many values involved, leading the reader to meditate on how not only diseases imply risks for humankind, but also new health’s devices.