Download Genetic Manipulaion Yes Or No Essay, Research Paper Genetic

Genetic Manipulaion Yes Or No Essay, Research Paper
Genetic Manipulation: Yes or No?
Genes, being part of the basic building blocks of man, control all aspects of one s life.
They control how tall you are, what color your eyes are, and what diseases might afflict
you in the
future. Therefore, the manipulation of such genes can be a controversial topic. The
controversy most likely stems from the ethical and social questions that are raised by this
procedure. Jean
Dausset, author of Scientific Knowledge and Human Dignity, and George B. Kutukdjian,
author of UNESCO and Bioethics, both discuss the topic of genetic manipulation. Their
main focus concerns the applications of genetic manipulation, the limitations and equal
opportunities of genetic manipulation, and how a person s confidential information would
be regulated. To understand this basics of genetic manipulation, one must first have a
little background knowledge.
Genetics is the branch of biology that deals with heredity, especially the mechanisms of
the hereditary transmission and variation of inherited characteristics. Genes are the
hereditary
units of chromosomes that are located inside the DNA, which determine certain
characteristics of an organism (Encarta). The scientific alteration of the structure of
genetic material in a living organism is called genetic engineering. Gene therapy is the
insertion of a gene or genes into cells in order to provide a new set of instructions to those
cells (Encarta). Gene therapy is actually a form of gene manipulation in itself because
one is trying to control, or manipulate, the structure of a gene. Gene therapy is used to
correct a person s genetic predisposition. Genetic predisposition is the identification of
what diseases a person might be afflicted with in the future and how or from what a
person will die (Dausset 451). The application of genetic manipulation can be seen in two
areas: genetic testing and predictive medicine.
Genetic testing can be separated into two categories. The first should be to look for
characteristics of genetic diseases which are hereditary. The second is used to show a
person s predisposition to certain diseases (Kutukdjian 453). It is in genetic testing that
the concept of gene therapy can play a role. The somatic type of gene therapy is
considered to be an ethical one. Its main concern is focused toward the cells of the body
(Dausset 450). On the other hand, the germ-line type is concerned with the reproductive
cells or the embryos themselves,
thus being considered unethical (Dausset 450). Dausset says, The germ-line therapy must
be strictly banned (450). The second area of genetic testing is predictive medicine.
Predictive medicine is, essentially, preventive medicine (Kutukdjian 453). The main
purpose for predictive medicine is start treatment for a disease that the patient does not
have, but that he/she will possibly get in the future. That way the person will not get that
disease, thus the doctors prevented it.
Although it does present some ethical questions, I believe that genetic testing, for the
most part, is a good thing. It can do a great many good things for people, if it is used
properly. Gene therapy is considered by many medical researchers to be the ultimate
solution to gene-based diseases (Jaroff 24-6). Dr. W. French Anderson, the director of the
gene-therapy program at the University of Southern California/Norris Comprehensive
Cancer Center in Los
Angeles, says, virtually every disease will have gene therapy as one of its treatments
Along with two colleagues, Anderson performed the first federally approved gene
therapy (Jaroff 24-6). Predictive medicine is also a good thing. Medicine is basically
going to change from a treatment-based to a prevention-based discipline (Jaroff 24-6).
The ethical questions of whether or not genetic testing is good or not can be difficult to
answer. I believe that it is a good thing to an extent. It should be used to help treat or cure
people with certain diseases, but it should not be used to change the entire genetic makeup of an unborn child.
What will the limits be on genetic manipulation? Many people believe that is where the
majority of the controversy lies. The obvious choice would be for the government to
place limits on this medical practice and some research (Kutukdjian 453). The problem
with that lies in the fact that the individual governments of the world differ greatly, and
they would be unable to set equal limits (Kutukdjian 453). Where will it all end? That is
up to man. Ethics
can vary from person to person, and no government can change the individual s belief.
The world is made up of many different types, or classes, of people. There are thirdworld countries and developed countries. Equal opportunities for everyone to have access
to these procedures is a big concern. All countries, including the least advanced ones,
must be ensured of reaping the benefits from this process, so that they can help to cure or
find ways to treat
hereditary diseases (Kutudjian 454).
As I stated previously, a limit should be put on genetic testing to ensure equal
opportunities. In order to correct diseases, genetic testing is a good thing, but to give an
unborn child an unfair advantage, maybe, over child that are conceived in the way that
God had intended. Ultimately, man will decide where to stop. Since man is not always
ethical, the final stop on this genetic manipulation bus will be the abandonment of sex for
procreation. All children will most likely be created in a lab much like in the movie
Gattaca. Obviously, these procedures will be very expense, so the question of equal
opportunities for everyone in the world comes into play. No matter how hard we try there
is always something that will get in the way of equality. Therefore, I see a future much
like that of the one in Gattaca where not everyone is genetically enhanced from birth.
The final thing that should be considered is how the individual s confidential medical
information will be regulated. This is important because so insurance companies and
employers
may use this information in order to discriminate (Dausset 451). Doctor/patient
confidentiality should still be observed to prevent this kind of discrimination. Kutukdjian
believes that surveys
on population genetics (455)not should be used to discriminate against people that are
predisposed to certain diseases. Also, they should not lead to the establishment of a
genetic pseudoclassification of the population groups involved (Kutukdjian 455). The
controversy over whether this should be regulated as public or private information is also
an important topic of concern with some people.
Doctor/patient confidentiality should still be a number one priority. Even though
employers and insurance companies would like to learn this information, it can lead to
discrimination against their employees or clients. The same is true for public versus
private information situations. People can be very discriminatory towards someone with a
disease even if it can not be transmitted through casual contact. This information should
definitely not be
released to the public or it will cause social discrimination.
Indeed, genetic manipulation raises many ethical and social questions, such as man s
right to tread on God s domain. If so, in what applications can it be used? What kinds of
limitations should be put in place? And, how should this confidential information be
regulated? As of now, there are no easy answers to these questions. Concerning the
answers to these questions, Nobel laureate James Watson said, We used to think our fate
was in our stars. Now we know that, in large measure, our fate is in our genes (Jaroff 246).
Works Cited
Dausset, Jean. Scientific Knowledge and Human Dignity. Perspectives on Contemporary
Issues: Readings Across the Disciplines. Ed. Katherine Anne Ackley. Fort Worth:
Harcourt Brace College Publishers, 1997. 449-52.
Encarta 97 Encyclopedia. CD-ROM. 1997 MPEG Edition.
Jaroff, Leon. Keys to the Kingdom (Discovery and Manipulation of Human Genes).
TIME. 1996: 24-6
Kutukdjian, George B. UNESCO and Bioethics. Perspectives on Contemporary Issues:
Readings Across the Disciplines. Ed. Katherine Anne Ackley. Fort Worth: Harcourt
Brace College Publishers, 1997. 452-6.