Gene therapy has generated enormous expectations as it holds a great promise, namely to revolutionize clinical and molecular medicine. This is because the successful introduction of a gene sequence in somatic sells followed by long-term expression at therapeutic levels can fundamentally correct a variety of human disease such as inherited and acquired disorders, cancer and AIDS. The proceedings of the first ASI on Gene Therapy that took place from August 17-28, 1997 on the island of Spetsai, Greece, summarizes recent advances in the field as presented elegantly by the intemationally...