The Effects of Gene Therapy
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?
Gene therapy is the therapeutic delivery of nucleic acid into a patient’s cells as a drug to treat diseases such as Severe Combined Immunodeficiency (SCID) and Adenosine Deaminase Deficiency (ADA) and possibly cancer as well. It was first researched in 1985
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From the perspective of some activists against gene therapy, they feel as though if it were to be used in a way to enhance one's own abilities. It could possibly have a destructive outcome especially if applied to an unborn/newborn child. These activists believe that if possessed in the wrong hands it may cause ethical issues such as altering a child's basic height, weight so forth. This type of treatment is called germline therapy, however the Government does not allow the research to be funded, so it is all only theory as it has not occured yet. But in factuality the cells that are implanted inside a patient's body may cause dozens of issues, as shown in the statement “Several studies have already shown that this approach can have very serious health risks, such as toxicity, inflammation, and cancer.” (GHR) With these issues it will cause even more problems, especially if someone is being treated for cancer. If they were to either retain the cancer or develop a new possibly worse type of cancer it will affect not only the patient but it will also halt the research of gene therapy which in turn will slow down the process for finding a safe
SUMMARY: Director of the Ethics Institute, Ronald M. Green, in his article “Building Baby from the Genes Up” discusses why he thinks that genetically modifying babies genes is more beneficial than destructive. He begins his article off by mentioning a story of a couple who wishe to genetically modify their baby so that they could make sure the baby would not develop the long family line of breast cancer. Green then notifies the reader that no matter where they stand on the matter, genetically modifying babies is going to become more and more popular. Even the National Institute of Health is beginning to invest in technology that can be used to genetically modify human genes. He then explains how genetically modifying human genes can be beneficial,
Gene therapy is the application of the technique where the defect-causing "bad" genes are replaced by correct "good" genes. The idea of gene therapy is to treat the disease by correcting the "bad" DNA (Deoxyribonucleic acid) rather than the current me thod of providing drugs, or proteins not produced by the defective gene. Gene therapy addresses the problem first hand by directly working with the genetic information causing the disease. From the book Shaping Genes, Dr. Darryl Macer says "It is like f ixing a hole in the bucket, rather than trying to mop up the leaking water." There are two kinds of gene therapy, somatic cell gene therapy and germline gene therapy.
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
Many researchers were successful in curing both the genetic and non-genetic diseases by altering the somatic cells of the individual. It has been accepted as a good practice. The main reason is only the individual in question receives the altered somatic cells but it will not pass to his off-spring. Thus it doesn’t change the original genetic structure of that individual. Public debate over the ethics of using gene therapy began after the research of the recombinant DNA technology started in 1960.
Gene therapy works in three ways; it works to replace a missing or defective gene with a normal one, replace a faulty gene so that it will function properly and it works to activate and deactivate a gene, allowing it to “switch” on and off. Gene therapy is done by the deliverance of a gene to a cell via a carrier, or vector, such as a virus. Scientists lean more towards using a virus because they can seek out particular cells and transfer pieces of deoxyribonucleic acid into them. Scientists also take advantage by deactivating their harmful characterizes and modifying them to carry particular gene into designated cells. After gene therapy is done, the genes can then stimulate the production needed for standard functioning, allowing that gene to return to its previous normal state. Therefore, if a patient were to be in the beginning stages of cancer, gene therapy would seek out the cancerous gene and replace it with a healthy one and minimizes the disease from
...s of gene therapy is that the mortality rate is very high. This is because Immune system may attack cells and cells may attack vital organs. Furthermore, ethical issues should be dealt in a positive way. The technological institute has to reduce the unnecessary expenses of the treatment. I highly suggest the government investing more money on the development of gene therapy.
Gene therapy is a provisional technique that is the insertion of normal genes into the cells where there is a missing or miscoded gene to fix a genetic disorder. In the 1960s and early 1970s,
Since its inception, gene therapy has captured the attention of the public and ethics disciplines as a therapeutic application of human genetic engineering. The latter, in particular, has lead to concerns about germline modification and questions about the distinction between therapy and enhancement. The development of the gene therapy field and its progress to the clinic has not been without controversy. Although initially considered as a promising approach for treating the genetic of disease, the field has attracted disappointment for failing to fulfil its potential. With the resolution of many of the barriers that restricted the progress of gene therapy and increasing reports of clinical success, it is now generally recognised that earlier expectations may have been premature.
In the article written by Eva Botkin-Kowacki, she states “fears have persisted that such technology could lead to a dystopian society in which people with the means could pay to alter the traits of their offspring to give them an advantage in life, or governments might use the technique to build super-soldiers.” What this means to them is that it could get out of hand. Those who say this are short-sighted. If we set strict regulations and guidelines now to ensure that gene editing remains only for getting rid of diseases, there is no concern for superhumans whatsoever. This idea is shown by Project Syndicate when it says “The sick should not be left untreated just because of fears that some parents will want to build superkids.” Besides, this situation presented by those anti-gene editing is merely hypothetical, not fact-based by any
Gene therapy enables patients to survive incurable diseases. In the field of genetic diseases, ADA-SCID, CGD and hemophilia are three main ones. ADA-SCID is known as the bubble boy disease. CGD is related to immune system that would lead to fungal infections which are fatal. Patients with Hemophilia are not able to induce bold bleeding (Gene therapy for diseases, 2011). Gene therapy also has good effects on cancer treatment and neurodegenerative diseases, which include Parkinson’s disease and Huntington’s disease. Viral infections, including influenza, HIV and hepatitis can also be treats by it (Gene therapy for diseases, 2011). According to the Science Daily in 2011, gene therapy now can apply to heart failures and neurologic diseases as well.
The purpose of gene therapy is to introduce a new or corrected gene into a human so that the protein synthesized from transcription and translation of the new gene will correct the disease. Although gene therapy is still within the early stages of development, there have been some patients that have gone through a clinical trial using gene therapy and some of the diseases experimented on using this disease include cystic fibrosis, AIDS, and certain cancers (Misra 2013). There are two types of gene therapy; somatic gene therapy and germline therapy. Somatic gene therapy only targets body cells curing the individual rather than alteration of genes of future offspring, which is the aim of germline therapy. In gene therapy, a vector is used to introduce the corrected or new gene to the diseased individual. Some of the most common vectors include adenoviruses, adeno-associated viruses, retroviruses, and herpes simplex virus (Misra 2013). A four-year-old boy in Arlington, Texas, diagnosed with Shwachman-Diamond syndrome at the age of 14 months will be cured through the introduction of a functional SBDS gene by somatic gene
Genes are what keep your DNA, which is a genetic code that controls how you look and the way your body works (“What is Gene Therapy”). Each person has two copies of each gene, one passed down from mum and the other from dad (“What Is a Gene?”). However sometimes certain genes may become mutated or there are too many or too little of that gene and that may cause disorders; ADA-SCID is an example of such a disorder. ADA, adenosine deaminase deficiency, is one of the forms of SCID, severe combined immunodeficiency, which weakens the patient’s immune system. ADA-SCID has a few forms of treatment but one of the most promising ones is gene therapy. Gene therapy is a process that can manipulate one’s genes to cure a disease. Gene therapy has both
Think of a world where children are born healthy, without risk of disease. Where one’s quality of life can be improved with a simple surgery. Sound interesting? Though many Americans today have an opinion on gene manipulation, less than 10% of the population has an adequate knowledge and understanding of all the benefits and controversies of the technology (Funk). Many advancements are being made in the field of gene engineering, with parents yearning for the chance of one day possibly being able to give their children a better life. Lifespans are being elongated, deadly diseases are being eliminated, and more people are becoming interested in the technology. Genetic engineering should be viewed as ethical when dealing with deadly diseases or the improvement of one's physical well-being.
What are the risks and what are the possible benefits? Currently, gene therapy is one of the only ways to change the genetic makeup of an animal or human. Also, the chance of gene therapy being successful in animals is fifty percent, while in humans it is five percent. Human Genetics Alert believes “Once we begin to consciously design ourselves, we will have entered a completely new era of human history, in which human subjects, rather than being accepted as they are, will become just another kind of object, shaped according to parental whims and market forces”. HGA provides background information on the currently available resources used in Genetic Engineering.
The scientists, researchers and geneticists have a big stake in this issue because they are the ones who develop the technology and instill hope within individuals who could benefit from the technology. They are pressured to present technology that they have promised and have to do it efficiently and without making any mistakes because if a mistake is made, the backlash that they could face will terrorize them. The individuals who are depending on these developments are going to be those who display or carry the traits for genetic abnormalities and would like to prevent their offspring and subsequent generations from possessing and suffering with the diseases that they had to. To accomplish this, they could possibly alter their genomes by using gene splicing techniques which then lead to the selection of healthy embryos and finally, a genetic abnormality free baby.