[20220119]IF12021_全球流行病：关注的功能收益研究 .pdf

https:/crsreports.congress.gov January 19, 2022Global Pandemics: Gain-of-Function Research of Concern Introduction Gain-of-Function (GOF) research is a broad area of scientific inquiry where an organism gains a new property or an existing property is altered. The terms gain of function and loss of function refer to any genetic mutation in an organism that either confers a new or enhanced ability or causes the loss of an ability. Such changes often occur naturally. Additionally, scientists can induce some changes to organisms through experimentation. A key area of GOF research is the study of both naturally occurring and experimentally induced changes in organisms to better understand the transmission, infection, and pathogenesis of viruses. Through such knowledge, scientists hope to improve our understanding of human-pathogen interactions, aid in assessments of potential pandemic pathogens, and further public health preparedness. Some analysts have raised concerns that studies designed to understand how viruses might evolve may have the potential to generate pathogens that affect humans with the potential to cause a pandemic. To focus attention on this small subset of studies, the