Silver Lining

doi:10.1126/science.290.5494.1065b

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ScienceScope

Advocates of more controls on human subjects research will be getting help from Paul Gelsinger, father of 18-year-old Jesse Gelsinger, who died last year in a gene therapy trial at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia (Science, 12 May, p. 951). Gelsinger received a "significant" financial settlement from Penn last week, his attorney says, after agreeing to end a malpractice suit. As part of the deal, Gelsinger dropped two defendants--former medical school dean William Kelley and Penn bioethicist Arthur Caplan, who gave informal advice on the trial's design. Caplan says, "It would be horrible to have anyone sued for expressing an opinion to a colleague."

Gelsinger intends to use the funds to form "a private foundation to support a few organizations that we consider ethical," including the National Organization for Rare Disorders in New Fairfield, Connecticut, and Citizens for Responsible Care & Research in New York City. Gelsinger adds: "We need legislation to protect research subjects by imposing stiff fines and jail time for violators."