James M. Wilson · Molecular Genetics and Metabolism 2009 · expert commentary / narrative reflection · n=?

Lessons learned from the gene therapy trial for ornithine transcarbamylase deficiency

Cited 298 times in the scientific literature.

Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data

Expert commentary and narrative reflection without new empirical data

OpenAlex W2107496779 · doi:10.1016/j.ymgme.2008.12.016 · record verified 2026-08-28

What was done

The author, director of the institute that conducted the 1999 ornithine transcarbamylase deficiency (OTCD) liver gene therapy trial, provides retrospective reflections and lessons learned following the death of subject Jesse Gelsinger from vector administration complications.

What was found

No quantitative findings, sample statistics, or clinical metrics are reported in the abstract. The article is a narrative account and personal reflection on the trial events and their broader implications for translational medicine.

Why it matters

It offers first-person reflections from the principal investigator of a foundational safety event in human gene therapy that shaped contemporary regulatory, ethical, and clinical trial oversight standards.

Limits

This is a narrative essay and personal reflection (Oxford Level 5) rather than a primary clinical study or systematic review. It presents no new empirical data, controls, or formal statistical evaluations.

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