"We used to think that our fate was in our stars, but now we know that, in large measure, our fate is in our genes, " - James Watson. (Rocholl, 1996) Gene Therapy is the key to unlocking our fate that is deeply hidden within our genes. As viruses get stronger and new diseases are discovered, we need one treatment that can cure all of that. Scientists hope that this treatment will be Gene Therapy. It’s a brilliant idea, however there are many risks, regulations and ethical issues involved. It’s up to you whether you ignore them or not. Many people believe that Gene Therapy will be the replacement of medicine in twenty years from now. (Rocholl, 1996) Many people believe that Gene Therapy will be the solution to all of our medical problems. (Rocholl,
…show more content…
(What is Gene Therapy?, 2015) Federal laws, regulations, and guidelines help protect people participating in clinical trials or research studies. China is currently commercializing Gene Therapy, making it the first country to do so. It is a big jump, but the risks involved make it a very questionable act by the government of China. (Pearson, Jia, & Kandachi, 2004) Other countries involved with Gene Therapy are currently playing it safe, like the United States. In addition to that, there are many ethical and social issues regarding Gene Therapy because you are making changes to your body’s set of instructions. Society is wanting to know whether Gene Therapy will be only used by the wealthy, because of its high cost and will taxes be raised in countries with free healthcare like Canada. Also, if Gene Therapy were to be used often, would society scold or exclude people who are “different” even more so because they can easily fix it via Gene Therapy? People are also wondering whether Gene Therapy will be allowed to “upgrade” traits such as intelligence, height, athleticism, etc. Furthermore, a change in genes can cause this DNA change to be passed on through generations. This could cause concerns to many religious perspectives, that only God or another being is allowed to create or alter the
(What is Gene Therapy?, 2015) Federal laws, regulations, and guidelines help protect people participating in clinical trials or research studies. China is currently commercializing Gene Therapy, making it the first country to do so. It is a big jump, but the risks involved make it a very questionable act by the government of China. (Pearson, Jia, & Kandachi, 2004) Other countries involved with Gene Therapy are currently playing it safe, like the United States. In addition to that, there are many ethical and social issues regarding Gene Therapy because you are making changes to your body’s set of instructions. Society is wanting to know whether Gene Therapy will be only used by the wealthy, because of its high cost and will taxes be raised in countries with free healthcare like Canada. Also, if Gene Therapy were to be used often, would society scold or exclude people who are “different” even more so because they can easily fix it via Gene Therapy? People are also wondering whether Gene Therapy will be allowed to “upgrade” traits such as intelligence, height, athleticism, etc. Furthermore, a change in genes can cause this DNA change to be passed on through generations. This could cause concerns to many religious perspectives, that only God or another being is allowed to create or alter the