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Ethical issues of gene therapy
Is genetic modification ethical
Ethical issues of gene therapy
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Sreenivasan, Ramanuja Pd. 8 Gene Therapy and Genetic Engineering "The aim is to decrease the fear of a brave new world and to encourage people to be more proactive about their health. It [Gene therapy] will help humans become better physically and even mentally and extend human life. It is the future” (Hulbert). Dr. Hulbert, a genetic engineer, couldn’t be anymore right; more time, money, and research needs to be put into gene therapy and genetic engineering, since it can cure certain illness and diseases that are incurable with modern medicine, has fewer side-effects than conventional drugs or surgery, and allows humans to be stronger physically and mentally at birth. Gene therapy or genetic engineering is the development and application of scientific methods, procedures, and technologies that permit direct manipulation of genetic material in order to alter the hereditary traits of a cell, organism, or population (NIH). It essentially means that we can change DNA to make an organism better. Genetic engineering is used with animals and plants every day; for example with genetic...
It was in the 1980’s that scientist began looking at alternative ways of treatments, one is gene therapy. Scientist would insert human genes into a bacteria cell. Then the bacteria cell would transcribe and translate the information into a protein. Once that is done the scientist would then introduce the protein into human cells. Gene therapy can be simply viewed as inserting bits of foreign DNA into a patient’s tissue in hope...
Human gene therapy is a method used in the medical field that treats diseases at a molecular level, by solving the source of the problem; our genes. Today, diseases and disorders are commonly treated by solving the symptoms, the surface of the problem. Many disorders and diseases are caused by defective proteins and within those defective proteins are damaged and defective genes. These defective genes can be treated through gene therapy. Gene therapy is not new and has been developed and improved by researchers for the past couple years. Being an experimental technique, gene therapy also has its pros and cons, but so far is showing positive and rising success rates.
Genetic engineering or “genetic enhancement refers to the transfer of genetic material intended to modify nonpathological human traits” (Hanna 1). These enhancements are used to modify human embryos and during gene therapy. There are currently two different approaches to gene manipulation, embryo elimination or genetic alteration. The point being, there is a choice of either disposing of an embryo because it has a genetic defect or genetic alteration of a gene which results in removing traits or enhancing them. There are birth defects and fatal incurable diseases that need to be eliminated. Genetic engineering could pave the way to discover ways to eliminate or at least reduce them. Genetic engineering to eliminate incurable diseases and birth defects should be used because it will reduce suffering and pain for both children and their parents.
Many people often ask, “Is it acceptable for human beings to manipulate human genes” (Moral and Ethical Issues in Gene Therapy). Most of the ethical issues centralize on the Christian understanding of a human being. They believe God made them the way they are and people should accept their fate.The Society, Religion and Technology Project have researched and found that countless people are curious if gene therapy is the right thing to do. They have a problem with exploiting the genes a person is born with due to the fact they consider it to be “playing God” (Moral and Ethical Issues in Gene Therapy). They are also concerned with the safety. On account of the unfamiliar and inexperienced technology. Gene therapy has only been around since 1990, so scientists are still trying to find the best possible way to help cure these diseases. Multiple scientists are cautious with whom they share their research. For the reason that if it were to get into in the wrong hands it could conceivably start a superhuman race. Author Paul Recer presumes using germline engineering to cure fatal diseases or even to generate designer babies that will be stronger, smarter, or more immune to infections (Gene Therapy Creates Super-Muscles). Scientists could enhance height, athleticism and even intelligence. The possibilities are endless. Germline engineering, however, would alter every cell in the body. People would no longer have to worry about the alarming and intimidating combinations of their parents’ genes. Genetic engineers are able to eliminate unnatural genes, change existing ones or even add a few extra. Like it or not, in a few short years scientists will have the power to control the evolution of
In September 14, 1990, an operation, which is called gene therapy, was performed successfully at the National Institutes of Health in the United States. The operation was only a temporary success because many problems have emerged since then. Gene therapy is a remedy that introduces genes to target cells and replaces defective genes in order to cure the diseases which cannot be cured by traditional medicines. Although gene therapy gives someone who is born with a genetic disease or who suffers cancer a permanent chance of being cured, it is high-risk and sometimes unethical because the failure rate is extremely high and issues like how “good” and “bad” uses of gene therapy can be distinguished still haven’t been answered satisfactorily.
In the past 40 years, scientists have developed and applied genetic engineering to alter the genetic make-up of organisms by manipulating their DNA. Scientists can use restriction enzymes to slice up a piece of DNA from an organism with the characteristics they want and spliced (joint) to a DNA from another organism. DNA that contains pieces from different species is called recombinant DNA, and it now has different genetic material from its original. When this DNA inserted back into the organism, it changes the organism’s trait. This technique is known as gene-splicing (Farndon 19).
In this paper, I will argue that genetic therapies should be allowed for diseases and disabilities that cause individuals pain, shorter life spans, and noticeable disadvantages in life. I believe this because everyone deserves to have the most even starting place in life as possible. That is no being should be limited in their life due to diseases and disabilities that can be cured with genetic therapies. I will be basing my argument off the article by “Gene Therapies and the Pursuit of a Better Human” by Sara Goering. One objection to genetic therapies is that removing disabilities and diseases might cause humans to lose sympathy towards others and their fragility (332). However, I do not believe this because there are many other events and conditions in society that spark human compassion and sympathy towards others.
As a species we’ve always looked for ways to be faster, stronger, smarter, and live longer. Many enhancements we take for granted today; blood transfusions, vaccinations, and birth control, seemed unnatural or immoral when first introduced. Yet over time we’ve become accustomed to these controls over our minds and bodies, and have used them to better ourselves and our world. Imagine a society without disease, cancers, or heredity disorders. Life span would increase and IQ raised. Mental illness eliminated. Alzheimer’s gone. Hereditary problems, like baldness eradicated. Technology exists to diagnose flawed DNA in pre-implantation embryos, empowering humans to create a stronger, healthier child. Scientists place a new/modified gene into a virus like organism that enters the cell and inserts the new gene. Genetic modification is utilized to correct defective genes that lead to disease or genetic disorders; in simple terms, manipulating human genes to provide a brighter genetic future for humanity. In the future we may also be able to "cure" genetic diseases in embryos by replacing faulty sections of DNA with healthy DNA, in a process called germ line therapy. This has been performed on animal embryos but is currently illegal for humans.
Every year, the rate of mortality increasing because most diseases may lead to death if not treated early. One of the methods that can be used to cure some diseases is by using the treatment known as gene therapy. Based on Pruitt’s (2008) study, numbers of inherited and acquired diseases were reduced since gene therapy has the ability to provide new treatments to cure them. According to Shi and Zou (2008), gene therapy is defined as expression of protein or interrupts the synthesis of protein in cell by transferring the genetic material into a host in order to treat or prevent a disease. Besides that, Kelly (2007) stated that an “abnormal” hereditary disease-causing gene in an individual’s cells and tissues is treated and used gene therapy by to replace them with a “normal” gene. Around 1970’s, idea to use “genes” as “drugs” for human therapy was originally from United States (Giacca, 2010). Moreover, there are some objectives in using the gene therapy as a treatment. First, gene therapy is used to cure or slow the progression of disease by introducing the genetic material into target cells and next objective is to aim at the direct correction of endogenous genetic defects by delivered some additional copies of a gene (Pruitt, 2008; Giacca, 2010). Furthermore, Yadav and Tyagi (2008) found that there are two types of gene therapy which are germline gene therapy and somatic cell therapy. As stated by Shi and Zou (2008), therapy that involved modification of any cells in a patient’s body is called as somatic cell gene therapy while germ line gene therapy is therapy that involved modifying of human eggs or sperms that pass genes on to future generations. Other than that, animal tissue culture is used to test the effective...
Imagine if there was a cure for cancer right at our fingertips… Gene therapy is attempting to achieve that goal by replacing a mutated gene, such as a cancer gene, with a healthier copy of it. However gene therapy is still very new in the medical field and as such comes with plenty of risks with one being that it may cause a tumor to grow. How can gene therapy act as a potential cure for cancer and what are the potential harms that can come out of treatment?
Genetic engineering is the “science of altering and cloning genes” to treat diseases but it can also branch out to the creation of designer babies or human modification according to Dictionary.com. DNA faulty is said to be the “major causes of death and disability, including cancer, heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease and diabetes” (Merz). People deem the practice of genetic engineering as a breakthrough for humans because of the possibility of humans cure of cancer or diseases. This is an accomplishment because of its purpose of saving lives but some argue what consequences it will bring. One of them being experimentation and the amount of time it will take scientists to produce their desire result. From the article “Designer People,” the author
Imagine that we could prevent disease by simply implementing the correct gene into someone's DNA sequence. Many diseases are primarily the result of an individual's genetic composition . . . Using genetic interventions, the hope is to add to, delete from, or alter a person’s genetic constitution in order to cure or prevent disease or undesirable conditions (FitzGerald). Genetic engineering is also known as recombinant DNA (rDNA) technology . . . It uses restriction enzymes to cut pieces of DNA out of two organisms. Then it implements one of the fragments of DNA into the other organism’s . . . This is used to produce insulin for humans with diabetes (Tortora ch 9; 245, 247). Some people are afraid of what the effect of
Genes are made of DNA – the code of life (Gene Therapy- The Great Debate!). The changes in genes may cause serious problems, which we called genetic disorder. In theory, the only method to cure genetic disorders is gene therapy, which basically means the replacement of genes in order to correct the loss or change in people’s DNA. Although gene therapy gives patients with genetic disorders a permanent cure, it is controversial because it has safety and efficacy problems, and raises ethical issues.
Position Paper: Gene Therapy in Humans. Advancements in science and medicine are usually accompanied by a myriad of ethical and moral implications. The fairly recent advancement in genetics, called gene therapy, is no exception to the baggage of polarizing views that come with new technology. Gene therapy is an extremely hot topic in both the scientific world and everyday life. New technology, discoveries, and breakthroughs are rapidly occurring in the field every day.
Dr. Jon Schiller describes genetic medicine as the newer term for medical genetics and incorporates areas such as gene therapy, personalised medicine and a new emerging speciality, predictive medicine. Medical genetics is the specialty of medicine that involves the diagnosis and management of hereditary disorders (Dr. Jon Schiller, 2010).