Scientists conducting “gain-of-function” research have expressed concerns that increased apprehension about laboratory leaks is impeding efforts to advance research that could help prevent future pandemic viruses.
Questions about whether Covid leaked from a Chinese laboratory have cast a chill over American virus research, drying up funding for scientists who collect or alter dangerous pathogens and intensifying a debate over those practices.
This issue has transformed a highly contentious area of medical science. While some believe that experiments of this nature could help prevent future pandemics, others are concerned that they could potentially initiate one.
For example, at Pennsylvania State University, a proposal to infect ferrets with a mutant bird flu virus passed a rigorous biosafety review but was ultimately rejected by the National Institutes of Health. The scientist behind the studies, Troy Sutton, mentioned that health officials cited the public controversy surrounding the lab leak theory as a reason to pursue different experiments.
In Washington, international development officials canceled a $125 million program to collect animal viruses across several continents after demands from two senior Republican senators to halt the project.
In various parts of the United States, nearly two dozen virologists, some of whom preferred to remain anonymous due to concerns about jeopardizing funding or career prospects, described a widespread reluctance to engage in sensitive experiments. Some mentioned that they had ceased proposing such work because their research plans were stuck in prolonged and opaque government reviews. One virologist even mentioned that university administrators had asked him to remove his name from a study conducted with colleagues in China.
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Some of the experiments in question involve gain-of-function research, in which scientists genetically modify a virus to determine if it becomes deadlier or more contagious.
Proponents argue that this is the most effective way to identify mutations that make a virus dangerous. These findings, in turn, can aid in identifying the most concerning pathogens that transfer from animals to humans and help in the development of vaccines targeting potential pandemic viruses.
However, critics argue that manipulating deadly viruses carries significant risks for uncertain public health benefits. While lab accidents are rare, the consequences of a leak could be catastrophic. If political considerations are intensifying the scrutiny of gain-of-function studies, these scientists contend that it’s a necessary reassessment of the risks and benefits of such research.
In the context of the Covid pandemic, both sides of the debate have found supporting evidence.
The idea that Covid might have originated from a lab has led biosafety advocates to call for stricter controls on experiments that could potentially lead to a similar outcome. Simultaneously, studies suggesting that Covid likely emerged from an illegal animal market have reinforced the need for safer laboratory studies to prepare for dangerous virus mutations that occur naturally.
The next threat may not be far off, with a new bird flu variant known as H5N1 infecting millions of birds globally and sporadically jumping to humans.
Two research groups, one in the United States and one in the Netherlands, genetically modified bird flu viruses to increase their transmissibility, demonstrating the potential for such viruses to evolve into human pandemics.
To critics, these studies were seen as dangerous experiments risking major outbreaks for limited scientific knowledge. Lab leaks have caused smallpox cases and infections among scientists in the past, such as the SARS-CoV-1 outbreak in 2003 and 2004.
On the other hand, some researchers viewed the bird flu studies as essential for understanding the virus’s evolutionary potential, which, in turn, helps identify viruses for prepandemic vaccines.
With these debates ongoing and the discovery of forgotten smallpox vials on the N.I.H. campus in 2014, the Obama administration temporarily halted funding for gain-of-function research. Dr. Sutton, who had just completed bird flu studies, considered leaving academic research.
However, the Trump administration lifted the pause in 2017 and introduced new oversight rules. Dr. Sutton, undeterred, persisted in his virology research and was behind the third project reviewed by the gain-of-function committee.
The issue of laboratory research with potentially dangerous pathogens remains a matter of debate and scrutiny in the scientific community and among funding agencies.
Penn State University has a highly secure lab that operates with rigorous safety measures, including controlled airflow and protective clothing for scientists working with viruses. In 2018, Dr. Sutton proposed conducting studies on the H7N9 bird flu, a virus that posed a potential pandemic threat due to its ability to infect both birds and humans. He wanted to understand how likely it was to evolve into a pandemic.
Previous research had shown that the virus could sometimes spread between ferrets, which raised questions about whether these mutations were random or if they contributed to the virus’s potential to spread in the future. Dr. Sutton’s proposal aimed to create virus variants with these mutations and test their transmission in ferrets.
The National Institutes of Health (N.I.H.) initially recommended funding for these experiments, but a gain-of-function committee conducted a thorough review, focusing on safety protocols and equipment. By February 2020, they approved the project with some conditions pending N.I.H. leader approval.
However, as the COVID-19 pandemic emerged, concerns were raised about the origins of the virus, including the possibility of a laboratory leak from the Wuhan Institute of Virology in China, which had received funding from the N.I.H. This political controversy affected the N.I.H.’s willingness to fund such studies, and they advised Dr. Sutton to find alternative research methods.
In September 2021, the N.I.H. eventually provided funding for a modified version of Dr. Sutton’s experiments, involving weaker viruses and petri dish testing. While considered less risky, it offered fewer insights.
Debates about the origins of COVID-19 led to increased scrutiny of virus research and funding, with some senators questioning research abroad. The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) announced a $125 million initiative, DEEP VZN, to partner with labs globally to study unknown animal viruses without engaging in gain-of-function research in China.
However, this initiative faced challenges on Capitol Hill, as some senators raised concerns about previous research funding in China. The project aimed to train scientists in poorer nations to safely identify viruses, but it faced criticism and concerns regarding the safety of field researchers.
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