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As shown in the video above recent experiments claim that two babies have been born that were genetically engineered to resist HIV infection. Should this or any similar genetic modifications (which can be passed from generation to generation unlike standard gene therapy such as the one used to treat the woman with the vision problems ) be allowed for humans?
I think at this stage, the technique is still not developed enough to ensure that only the disease causing genes are deactivated and no other consequences will befall that individual, which makes it problematic since the genetic modification is inheritable and so are possible unknown health consequences. Even if the technique is mature enough and is only applied to editing genes responsible for diseases, and could have the potential to eradicate a genetic disorder, I wonder if we would have enough knowledge to know that editing that particular gene is not going to alter other bodily functions and decrease genetic variation of the population. I do believe that using genetic modification to cure diseases is a great application of genetic engineering, and I do not see ethical problems with performing these treatments on a consenting individual in a way that is not going to affect future generations. However when it comes to inheritable modifications, I think we need to be very cautious about its application in humans.
The idea of genetically engineering people is promising but I feel it is still too early to start implementing it on a grand scale. I feel this way as these modified genes will be passed on and eventually be in the population. This means we can’t rush these procedures as it doesn’t affect one person but the global population at large. The technology also needs to be monitored as modifying one gene might cause another gene to malfunction later in that person’s life. Through genetic engineering is promising I think humanity should slow down before jumping head first into the experimental treatment.
Although the two twin babies were born healthy, there is not enough research to know how safe this method is and the side effects it could cause the twins later on in life. Grace started her pregnancy by regular IVF, but the embryologist sent in CRISP/Cas9 protein to protect the girls from future HIV infection. I feel that although the idea of genetically engineering people is encouraging, this type of procedure is too dangerous, and could cause complications elsewhere during the process. I think that eventually, with more studies and more data, genome editing could be beneficial and life changing. Even though I don’t agree with how Dr. He went along with the procedure since it was too unstable and experimental, I give him props for his bravery and courage.
While I appreciate the advancements in genetic engineering, I do not believe that these modifications (generational) should currently be used on humans. There is no way of knowing how this gene modification will affect the babies later in life. The idea of it is promising, but the execution is questionable because we cannot predict human behavior either. The way people choose to live their lives, and epigenetics can affect genes. At this point there are too many unknowns in showing how this will ultimately affect humans. By modifying one gene, another gene could mutate causing just as much pain and suffering as would the original mutation. Although the doctor state he does not believe genetic modification should be used to raise IQ, choose eye color, etc., there are always scientists who like to push the limits. So where would it end?
I think that when the technology is firmly established enough to know the risks and benefits of human/in vitro genetic modification, it should only be performed on a case basis. There are genetic conditions such as Huntington’s disease which if successfully removed from a baby’s genome, could greatly improve their quality and length of life. This type of potential benefit would be a huge asset to humanity in theory. On the other hand, there is a great possibility that some people would prefer to modify characteristics based on appearance or vanity, essentially “customizing” how a child may look as they grow up. There are many people who go to great lengths to alter their own appearances and sometimes this spills over to their children. I think this will be an unfortunately unavoidable negative consequence if genetic modification becomes more mainstream.
Although the two twins were delivered without any complications, more research is needed to determine how safe this procedure is and any potential long-term ill effects for the twins. Regular IVF was used to initiate Grace’s pregnancy, but the embryologist added CRISP/Cas9 protein to shield the girls from contracting HIV in the future. The concept of genetically modifying individuals is intriguing, but in my opinion, it is too risky and could lead to problems elsewhere while being done. I believe that as research and data accumulate, genome editing may ultimately prove useful and transformative. Although I disagree with Dr. He’s decision to proceed with the treatment since it was too risky and experimental. He is brave.
I feel as though the intention is very good, when it comes to ensuring health and eliminating disease and susceptibility to viral infection, but is that where the genetic engineering will end? I feel that there needs to be strict regulations in place when it comes to engineering the genes of an individual. To engineer immunity to disease is one thing, but to engineer unnatural modifications into the human species to create “super” humans I feel infringes on ethics. This kind of practice, specifically with the HIV case and the twin girls, I feel is ethically reasonable and very beneficial to the future of medicine. It is essentially a life-long vaccine implemented before birth. To have the ability to ensure health for individuals is a wonderful thing, and genetic engineering I feel can be an amazing thing when used in safe, responsible and ethical manners.
I do not think that this sort of genetic engineering should be done on humans yet. This is still a very early stage in the process so things can go very wrong, like the HIV virus not completely deactivating, and then we are basically giving babies HIV which will affect them for the rest of their lives. There should be an intermediate for sure before we go right to babies. Maybe find a way to start with the parents, as they can consent beforehand and understand the repercussions. Or try with a virus that is not life long. This sort of research is very very beneficial to the general population but ethics should still be upheld in the testing stages.
I find it fascinating that we are advancing in genetic engineering, but I do not think that it is quite ready for humans. While the two twins were born healthy we do not know enough. Are there side effects later in life? The mother Grace began her pregnancy by normal IVF, then the embryologist sent CRISP protein to shield the babies from HIV later in life. This is a step in the right direction in terms of science, but I feel that this is not ready for its big debut. We have not studied this enough, there could be complications, and we need to see how this is beneficial more. If it’s worth it in the end. If we modify one gene, another gene could mutate causing problems just like the original mutation. Right now there are too many unknowns about what the doctor did and I do not think that we should do any similar genetic modifications.
I believe there are both ups and downs to the technique of genetic engineering. With the possibility to berid generational life threatening diseases and infections, I think this technique should be allowed. While I say that, I do also think that if genetic engineering becomes a normalized practiced, it may be taken too far. This could mean engineering one’s “perfect” child by making other genetic modifications. In this sense, I do not believe genetic engineering would be ethical or should be practiced. As of right now, I think there should be more research performed to ensure safety and with reasonable purpose, like disease, should be practiced.
There are pros and cons of genetic engineering. The Pros are the fact that it gets rid of human diseases and infections. The Cons are the modifications of genes in babies and their possibility of getting HIV during the modification process. This practice is too early to be used. I think it should be tested more because it’s a risky experiment.
I think that more testing needs to be done on model organisms and in the lab altering genes before it is applied to humans on any sort of large scale. Clinical trials exist and are heavily monitored, so in a setting such as that I believe it could be promising. But, until we have a much more detailed and extensive understanding on model organisms we should avoid human trials.
I think the idea is pointing us in the right directions but I feel like it is too early to implement just yet. More experiments should be done before these tests are done on a larger part of the population because there are already warning signs of what could happen. I also think it this could be leading down a scary road of creating the “perfect” society and could lead to everyone being developed the same so nobody is different. When it comes to mutations and diseases it could be a great thing but for other things it could lead to something a little more dangerous.
I think that this is an interesting and genius idea to help humans. Although I believe that it could be too early to tell whether this type of gene therapy works without complications. I do believe that through time this type of therapy will result in many more positive outcomes. As well as lead to beneficial gene therapies to help stop the spread of certain gene disorders. Being able to alter an individual’s DNA is a risky task but I think with further research and more trials we will be able to figure it out one day. By having a Lulu and Nanas procedure go well I think it gives us hope for the future. We also have to take into account the risk that can factor into doing this and how many trials on humans would we have to do to get more of a positive outcome?
Genetic engineering is a very interesting and promising form of treatment that can be used for many disorders and illnesses, such as HIV. However, I believe that more research and trials should be done before it can be used on a greater scale. Altering one’s DNA sequence is a very sensitive and error-prone process, but it could be very beneficial for the treatment of many genetic illnesses. I think it will take years before it can become a widely accepted practice because genetic engineering is still relatively new. There are also many ethical implications to consider as well as limits to what genetic engineering can and should be used for.
The idea that you can spare your children an inheritable disease is very appealing and could have widespread potential for all areas of the body. But I would be interested to see the how this alternation of their genome manifests long term. Not just for the girls physical health but also for their mental health. Are they planning to tell the girls when they are older that they are genetically engineered? And as far as physical health, does this have any long term side effects that they are now prone to? Does altering one gene make them more susceptible to other illnesses? It’s a very fascinating idea but it seems too soon with more testing needed and long term data available before this becomes more widespread and available.
I found this video very interesting because I started watching feeling very opposed to genetic modifications, but finished the video with more of an open mind to it. In the case of Lulu and Nana, the girls were born healthy but we do not have any way to know that the girls will continue a normal and healthy growth pattern. I understand that IVF was seen as an incomprehensible and scary advancement, yet now no one thinks twice about it. I would like to see the same for gene modification in the future, but not until we can prove that it is safe and effective throughout the entire lifetime of the individual. I liked when the video explained that this technology is only meant for a small group of people, because that is how we can determine if this gene modification is something that could be implemented for all cases such as HIV. Overall, I think that gene modification should only be used on very few cases -with understanding and willing participants- until enough time passes to understand the pros and cons.
I found this video to be very interesting. I would agree that this process of genetic engineering should be allowed in humans. However, I believe that it should only be allowed to a certain extent, in cases like the two babies that were infected with HIV in the video. The narrator describes that HIV is a lethal disease and is passed on from parent to offspring, but if we can use genetic methods to cut the HIV (or any other detrimental disease) out of the babies genome, in order to provide them with a better life down the road, then we should allow it. I do not think that we should just cut out genes that are non-life threatening in humans, but the detrimental and lethal diseases would be acceptable.
Since I just did my project on the Idea of Genetic engineering I felt as if I understood a lot of the concepts and things that were being brought into perspective. Personally I feel genetic engineering is the future solution to a lot of the problems we face but is also believe that changing our DNA is a big leap and there are things and maybe even consequence we might not be aware of. I’d like to think that things like this should be allowed to the public if they so desired but at the same time I feel as if this could affect future generations which could have a much bigger scale than we think. As the narrator explains HIV is a deadly disease and it would be great to be able to extinguish that but at the same time there effects to every causation. To conclude, I think we have a lot more to discover before we start making these huge leaps.
There will be a time where these procedures will be clinically viable in my opinion. Genetical engieneering faces a lot of ethical issues but so did any other aspect of science back at its genesis. It will definetly take a lot of time until we can reliably use gene editing on humans and I think we should be very careful on how we implement it as a misstep can raise doubts and hold us back. What humanity has done so far is already way beyond nature and this is just its logical progression. If we have the possibility to save people, we must take the chance. I still think there is a place and a necessity for the resistance to these procedures as it makes researcher more carefully evaluate the risk associated with such experiments