With a technology that could potentially give parents the opportunity to specifically choose certain traits, both physically and characteristically, it is not surprising that many controversies arise. Biotechnology easily can overwhelm or make people skeptical, especially those who are unfamiliar with the technology involved or due to negative media opinions. The first area of concern for some individuals would be health-related issues involved with lifestyle enhancement technology. There are risks associated with genetic modification of any organism or with any experimental trials and new diseases may be introduced accidently. The process of genetic engineering itself might not work correctly. Choosing a specific gene and inserting it, may
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A boy who participated in a gene therapy trial for ornithine transcarboxylase deficiency died due to a triggered immune system response to the adenovirus carrier in 1999. Many experiments and trials have problems with severe immune system responses from the gene transfers. This case was also not done at the germline level, but does contribute to health concerns and negative opinions of this technology. This could be because people are not informed enough to know that it is a different type of gene therapy or because they are aware of the differences, but do not want to put their unborn child at risk, let alone an adult or older child that has suffered from the consequences. It is also a concern since it is not a perfected technique with genetic diseases yet, so it is hard to be comfortable with more complex areas including the selection of personality traits. It is a scary advancement for some, but others believe that this is a significant and positive step in the area of biotechnology. The ability to generate a large quantity of cells with modified genes makes scientists capable of further research and understanding of many genetic disorders. They will be able to study diseases more in-depth and could be a significant step in successfully developing cures or stem cell therapies. There is also proof that germline gene therapy can work in animals. One problem is that successful trials and studies are less known to the public. The first successful experiment was in the 1980s where curative genes for an inherited nervous system disorder were inserted in mouse embryos. The inserted genes got into all the embryos’ cells, including those that developed into sperm and egg cells. The mice and their offspring were born free of disease. Another fix to those with health concerns is a new idea to test cells before implantation. For those that are wary of inserting genes into sperm cells and
A boy who participated in a gene therapy trial for ornithine transcarboxylase deficiency died due to a triggered immune system response to the adenovirus carrier in 1999. Many experiments and trials have problems with severe immune system responses from the gene transfers. This case was also not done at the germline level, but does contribute to health concerns and negative opinions of this technology. This could be because people are not informed enough to know that it is a different type of gene therapy or because they are aware of the differences, but do not want to put their unborn child at risk, let alone an adult or older child that has suffered from the consequences. It is also a concern since it is not a perfected technique with genetic diseases yet, so it is hard to be comfortable with more complex areas including the selection of personality traits. It is a scary advancement for some, but others believe that this is a significant and positive step in the area of biotechnology. The ability to generate a large quantity of cells with modified genes makes scientists capable of further research and understanding of many genetic disorders. They will be able to study diseases more in-depth and could be a significant step in successfully developing cures or stem cell therapies. There is also proof that germline gene therapy can work in animals. One problem is that successful trials and studies are less known to the public. The first successful experiment was in the 1980s where curative genes for an inherited nervous system disorder were inserted in mouse embryos. The inserted genes got into all the embryos’ cells, including those that developed into sperm and egg cells. The mice and their offspring were born free of disease. Another fix to those with health concerns is a new idea to test cells before implantation. For those that are wary of inserting genes into sperm cells and