Soft Cells and C-Sections

The American Society of Gene Therapy is renaming itself: "American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy" (membership has yet to finalize the name change."  The European Society of Gene Therapy has already done so: "European Society of Gene and Cell Therapy."

Why is gene transfer going cellular? The publicly stated reasons are two fold. First is a recognition that gene transfer has always involved "cell transfer." For instance, ADA-SCID and X-SCID protocols-- for that matter, all ex vivo protocols– involve modifying cells outside the body, and returning them to the volunteer.

A second reason is to have a more "inclusive" society, and an "expanded membership base." I suspect this partly reflects a concern that cell-types might affiliate with groups like ISCT (International Society of Cell Therapy), which has a "gene therapy" committee, or perhaps also ISSCR (International Society of Stem Cell Research).

Of course, this raises the question of what ASGCT means by "CT." Does the society intend "American Society of Gene AND Cell Therapy," or is it "OR Cell Therapy (which would include protocols that do not involve genetic modification). I can't help but wonder what the realignment will mean for gene transfer. Since its founding, "gene transfer" has represented a kind of "invisible college" - an international network of collaborations and co-citations with a common set of concerns. Does renaming represent the demise of the gene transfer invisible college, as "genes" are absorbed under the more powerful social category of "cells?"  Or does it represent a promising extension of the network? Is this simply a reflection that in the first decade of the 21st century, "cells" are, in terms of scientific capital, what "genes" were to the 1990s? (photo credit: I like 2008)