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| Terence R. Flotte, MD |
Terence R. Flotte, MD, the Celia and Isaac Haidak Professor of Medical Education, executive deputy chancellor, provost and dean of the School of Medicine, is the new editor-in-chief of the journal Human Gene Therapy and its associated periodicals Human Gene Therapy Methods and Human Gene Therapy Clinical Development, effective July 1. Dr. Flotte is currently an associate editor of the journal.
Flotte is well known in the gene therapy community. He was the principal investigator for the first use of recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) in humans, using the vector in cystic fibrosis trials beginning in 1995; these trials resulted in important early safety data and contributed seminal observations regarding the molecular mechanisms of rAAV persistence and immune response in humans. Flotte is the author of more than 230 scholarly papers. His research has been funded continuously by the NIH for 22 years. His lab is currently investigating the delivery of therapeutic genes and microRNA with recombinant vectors for genetic diseases such as alpha-1 antitrypsin (AAT) deficiency. Flotte also serves on the American Society for Gene and Cellular Therapy advisory council, setting policy and goals for promoting gene therapy research through public education, scientific meetings and scientific committees.
“This is a tremendous opportunity to guide this journal at this pivotal time, when gene therapies are emerging as approved, commercially-available medicines,” said Flotte. “Human Gene Therapy has a unique place as the only journal that has been continuously active in this field since its inception a quarter century ago.”
Flotte has received numerous honors and awards, including the E. Mead Johnson award for outstanding scientific contributions from the Society of Pediatric Research in 2005 and the Massachusetts Society for Medical Research award for pioneering work in human gene therapy in 2012. In 2013, he was inducted into the Johns Hopkins Society of Scholars.
Flotte is a graduate of the University of New Orleans and the Louisiana State University School of Medicine. He completed his residency, fellowship and postdoctoral training at Johns Hopkins University before joining the faculty at the University of Florida, where he was the director of the Powell Gene Therapy Center and Genetics Institute and chair of pediatrics before joining UMMS in 2007.
Flotte succeeds James M. Wilson, MD, PhD, director of the gene therapy program at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, who has been editor-in-chief of the journal since 2003. Dr. Wilson, the winner of a Gene Therapy Pioneer Award for his work on basic and clinical AAV vector development, led successful efforts to grow and develop the journal, including the launch of Human Gene Therapy Methods in 2012 and Human Gene Therapy Clinical Development in 2013.
Human Gene Therapy is the official journal of the European Society of Gene and Cell Therapy; the British Society for Gene and Cell Therapy; the French Society of Cell and Gene Therapy; the German Society of Gene Therapy and five other gene therapy societies. It is considered the authoritative peer-reviewed journal in the field, presenting reports on the transfer and expression of genes in mammals, including humans. Its sister journals, Human Gene Therapy Methods, published bimonthly, focuses on the application of gene therapy to product testing and development, and Human Gene Therapy Clinical Development, published quarterly, features data relevant to the regulatory review and commercial development of cell and gene therapy products.
