With regard to the increasing amount of diseases and cancers which have established themselves in the
human population, human gene therapy would be the greatest innovation that the world could provide now and
in the future. Human gene therapy is a process within which trained genetic scientists replace and manipulate a
person’s genes for the desired outcome. A variation of this process is already being used during in vitro
fertilization, in which medics scan the embryo’s genes for devastating diseases or mutations such as Down
syndrome or Tay-Sachs disease. Embryos are disposed of if deemed unfit to be implanted into an uterus.
Somatic gene therapy is the only method approved for use on humans. It involves a virus
being used …show more content…
Designer genes could also be introduced within which athletes and other people could have
improved speed and intelligence through the use of manipulated, handpicked genes. Human gene therapy could
also be used to cure cancer. By inserting a corrective gene into the human genome, DNA mutations could be
minimized and therefore cancerous cells would be minimized as well.
Though there are many positive effects of human gene therapy, there are potential negative consequences
as well. Designer genes could be used to cheat in competitions; getting away with it would be easily done
because human gene therapy is impossible to detect through normal steroid checking methods. Gene therapy is
virtually impossible to detect. If the virus vector is used incorrectly or delivered to the wrong section of DNA,
the result could be a tumor. If human gene therapy was used extensively, it could result in a diminished gene
pool, slowing or even stopping human evolution in its tracks. Even if human gene therapy were to become mainstream within the human population, it would cost a large amount of money, resulting in the rich being more likely to be modified, and thereby increasing the already ever-growing gap between the richest and poorest in
human population, human gene therapy would be the greatest innovation that the world could provide now and
in the future. Human gene therapy is a process within which trained genetic scientists replace and manipulate a
person’s genes for the desired outcome. A variation of this process is already being used during in vitro
fertilization, in which medics scan the embryo’s genes for devastating diseases or mutations such as Down
syndrome or Tay-Sachs disease. Embryos are disposed of if deemed unfit to be implanted into an uterus.
Somatic gene therapy is the only method approved for use on humans. It involves a virus
being used …show more content…
Designer genes could also be introduced within which athletes and other people could have
improved speed and intelligence through the use of manipulated, handpicked genes. Human gene therapy could
also be used to cure cancer. By inserting a corrective gene into the human genome, DNA mutations could be
minimized and therefore cancerous cells would be minimized as well.
Though there are many positive effects of human gene therapy, there are potential negative consequences
as well. Designer genes could be used to cheat in competitions; getting away with it would be easily done
because human gene therapy is impossible to detect through normal steroid checking methods. Gene therapy is
virtually impossible to detect. If the virus vector is used incorrectly or delivered to the wrong section of DNA,
the result could be a tumor. If human gene therapy was used extensively, it could result in a diminished gene
pool, slowing or even stopping human evolution in its tracks. Even if human gene therapy were to become mainstream within the human population, it would cost a large amount of money, resulting in the rich being more likely to be modified, and thereby increasing the already ever-growing gap between the richest and poorest in