The purpose of this essay is to thoroughly discuss the principles as well as the advantages versus the moral issues of gene therapy and genetic engineering. Multiple aspects of biotechnology centered on the topic of gene therapy will be analyzed and elaborated on. Particularly, gene therapy innovations in cystic fibrosis will be examined. Additionally, aspects of genetic engineering such as "designer babies" and eugenics will be explored. In today's world, a controversy of morality and medicine is becoming considerably more and more debated with the rise of increasingly complicated and life threatening illnesses and the biotechnology that can offer hope of a cure.
[...] Perhaps to the parents who desire all female offspring with brown hair and hazel eyes, genetic engineering is the answer with few draw backs, but the overall picture of this scenario yields very mixed outcomes. Adolph Hitler too sought a specific generation of individuals with certain characteristics, and therefore not only brought the world to a Second World War but deprived the world of millions of innocent people simply because they did not fit his criteria for a specific generation. [...]
[...] The mode in which biotechnology and genetic engineering has evolved to the pharmaceutical industry is through the use of animals as virtual labs for the production of pharmaceuticals. Once again, the argument here is on behalf of the voiceless animals that are being exploited. Animals are also being cloned to move the field of genetics one step closer to doing the same in humans. The idea behind cloning human DNA is longevity and extended life spans for the original DNA donor. [...]
[...] If one were to ask the friends and family members of a dying loved one this same question, considering the risks may be a future in “designer babies” or doctors playing God, the answer would remain yes; the benefits outweigh the risks if the treatment saves the individual in question. For these individuals who face the possibility of losing a relative to a genetic disorder, gene therapy is positively a benefit with few risks. Medicine and science are not immune to moral argument and even pressure. In fact, the topic of gene therapy and genetic engineering has been under intense scrutiny from a number of organizations and view points since its genesis. Many stand on the reason that it is not up to doctors and scientists to “play God”. [...]
[...] One aspect of faulty genetics or genetic expression is genes that ‘turn or become activated at some point in a person‘s life span resulting in cancer or other diseases, common approach in gene therapy is to identify a malfunctioning gene and supply the patient with functioning copies of that gene (Mammen et al 2007)”. Furthermore, genes can be introduced into the patient's cells to turn other genes on or to function as an immunosuppressant. In some cases, different genes can be turned on in order to block another gene from becoming active. [...]
[...] Other aspects of genetic engineering are subject to scrutiny and argument as well such as food and drug production. Many hybrids of fruit, vegetables and plant life have been achieved through the advancements in biotechnology. Multiple undesirable traits in crops can be eliminated this way therefore elevating profit margins for farmers. An example of this is cotton and soybean crops which have been specifically altered to minimize insect and weed invasion. Certainly, in agriculture, there is no predominantly necessary moral argument over whether it is morally correct to genetically alter corn for the improvement of taste and longevity. [...]
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