Over the last 5 years a number of articles have been published on gene therapy for a range of diseases. The initial tone of a number of these articles evoked high expectations, particularly from the public. Over the last 2-3 years data from these studies have begun to filter through and, perhaps not surprisingly, initial problems have been encountered, resulting in a recent spate of bad press for gene therapy. This article aims to examine where the prospects for respiratory gene therapy lie in the face of these mixed reactions.