Could you imagine how life changing
would be to get to know how our babies are growing up before they are even
born? Or to cure some of the diseases or disorders that our babies could bring?
Human genetic engineering provides the opportunity
to modify babies' genotype before birth. If the baby has any disease, genetic
disorders or genetic disease, this technology will definitely help the future
parents to give birth to a healthy child, and they will not have to worry that
their child could bring any of the diseases that both parents could have. This
could be the beginning of something big, and better for our future: healthier
humans, with more probabilities of success and better life.
Human genetic engineering can increase the longevity
and also enhance some of the genes that the parents would like to improve. Gene modification, also known as Germline Modification, in which genes can be modifies when the baby is still an early embryo, reduces exponentially the fact that the child can develop certain heart diseases, even
diabetes, hypertension, or cancer. This technology gives the big opportunity to
look forward to a healthy child without complication that could end his/her
life since this type of modification is permanent.
Researchers keep on trying to find the cure for
genetic diseases, and the human genetic engineering is getting close to that
goal. This is the result of science; science that is always trying to find the
bright side of the human life, and of course, evolution.
So, would you like to get yourself into gene therapy so your children would not have to struggle with those diseases? Would you rather choose technology than having to live with your children's diseases and can't do anything about it?
So, would you like to get yourself into gene therapy so your children would not have to struggle with those diseases? Would you rather choose technology than having to live with your children's diseases and can't do anything about it?
i think that this genetic engineering can be really positive, specially for those people who carry some genetical disease with them so they don't want to have children because they are afraid to transmit this disease to their future generations, on the other hand when i researched about this topic it says that it must be considered the fact that this procedure won't be cheap, so only people from a upper social class would be able to "fix" their children which will make social discrimination even bigger.
ReplyDeleteMoney always has been a great factor, but I was thinking beyond that.
ReplyDeleteObvioulsly is really positive to have this help, in order to avoid some diseases, but I was thinking on the fact that some people might use it in order to create a "perfect" human being. For instance, my eyes aren't green and I'm not blond, neverthless I could "ask" for a baby with those characteristics, and that will be a bigger factor of discrimination.
Can you imagine a whole blue eye's "army"? that will certaintly be scary.
This is a big scientific-technological breakthrough, there is no doubt about it. I think that people have the right to free determination of their own reproduction. Undermining freedom of reproduction risks undermining human rights in general. In fact, if safe human Germline Engineering is available, it would be immoral for those at risk to bring a genetically disabled person into the world, isn't it? And it would be against the medical ethical principle of beneficence if doctors did not use the technology available! As the technology becomes more reliable and safer, it is more voluntarily to use it to benefit from it. I was looking for information and I found that certain techniques which could eventually allow germline modification can be reversible. But, I think that if this modification could be made as safe as normal reproduction, what would be the objection to using it? Nevertheless, I support the idea of using this to cure disorders and diseases that babies could bring; but, I do not support when this is used to change physical aspects/characteristics because the pregnacy process would lose all relevance, meaning, and magic. It is interesting and exciting to ask what she/he looks like, but obviously, each of us should make that personal decision.
ReplyDeleteThis kind of therapies can be used ONLY if people are really informed about all the side effects that this could bring, and of course, using it as a good way to prevent the re-appearance of certain genetic diseases that can affect a whole generation of children. This becomes dark when some people can use this as a mere experiment to change the way their children would look like; it is a shallow way to have a "better" child. Moreover, if this therapies are given in a irresponsible way, people would have access to this therapy in a irresponsible way as well, and they can also abuse it. There is when this genetic engineering becomes unethical.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Natalyn's comment on how this could help a child to grow safe and free from mortal diseases and how people could end up using this advancement as a panacea to change the baby's physical appearance if the parents are unsatisfied. I think that in every single decision regarding science and the manipulation of a human being, it is up to the people’s morals whether they are going to make some changes in their children; that is why I think science is a “double-edged sword.”
ReplyDeleteI have an uncle who had two children, they were healthy, smart and beautiful, they looked as normal as any other kid. My uncle and aunt were young, they were happily married, they were grateful and full of life until their horrible nightmare began. When my cousins were eight and nine years old they fell into comas, and our family was distraught.Doctors couldn’t understand why, they even had to resort to alternative medicine, and they spent a lot of money,until one of the doctors came up with a possible explanation.He told them that their genes were incompatible and that they couldn’t have children anymore. From that moment on nothing was the same in their lives. I’m telling you this personal story to portray why I strongly support these kind of techniques. This is not only the case for my uncle and aunt, but thousands of families around the world who have to deal with their children’s disease.Everyday wondering what’s going to happen to them when they are dead and their children live on alone in the world, or they have to resign themselves to seeing their children dying a little every day. I did some research and I found that religion is opposed to these kind of treatments because they say that we have to accept what God decides for our lives. I’m not a religious person, and I think that these kinds of thoughts are a step backwards in evolution. We all deserve to be happy and if technology and science are offering these kinds of techniques to improve our lives and prevent tragedies we should accept them, but as Loreto said it is also important to be informed about them and not to misuse them as Natalyn and Dominique mentioned it, to change physical features of our babies as if they were dolls in a factory.
ReplyDelete