The prevention and avoidance of genetic disease: Proceedings of a Royal Society Discussion Meeting held on 29 and 30 April 1987

Genetic or inherited diseases, such as cystic fibrosis and Down's syndrome, remain largely unconquered, despite the great successes of medical research in recent years. The advances in molecular biology, however, have opened up the prospect of cloning disease genes and hence preventing or avoiding these diseases by genetic counselling.