As shown in the previous video, 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) be allowed for humans? Explain.
I think that genetic modifications are a good idea in theory and it’s great if it can save someone, but personally I would leave it in the hands of God and natural selection. I’m not saying we should let people die when there is something we can do about it but I do think everything happens for a reason and we don’t really know the long term effects of what this can do.
This work is very exciting. I think that if gene modification is being done to prevent a lethal genetic disease should be allowed. I do see the correlation between this and ‘designer babies’ but when it is preventing something lethal, it should be viewed differently and allowed.
As the Doctor in the video stated, at one point IVF was criticized in a similar light but now it is accepted as a medical advancement. I see this and advancements such as using CRISPR as the future of medicine.
I personally feel that genetic modification can be a doorway to amazing discoveries that could change peoples lives for the better. However, where there are people out to better the world there are also people out to benefit and profit from these advances. These procedures are experimental and unethical to test on humans, and with the growing popularity of this information (whether good or bad) it has brought about groups of people who are testing on themselves as well as vulnerable individuals. I believe it should be allowed with the proper guidelines, but i do also believe more research is needed to understand the risks and potential challenges it could impose on our society.
My personal opinion on genetic modification for humans is that it is something that should be left for a time where we are more open to the idea of it universally and are able to control and restrict the implications of what it brings. I think it could be a great tool to help eradicate diseases and conditions that cause many people to die from but I do think that the concept of controlling the amount of what we alter should have a heavy importance on when and how we alter said genes. Allowing people to modify genes that much could have an effect on human population and could lead to a movement of elitism due to the concept of perfecting life.
In my opinion this is a welcome development, which should be allowed only for the purpose it was meant for and not for other genetic engineering babies. It brings hope for children not to be affected by heritable lethal diseases, like the sickle cell disease, which is common in Africa.
Hearing the doctors’ explanation as to why his experiment is different form designer babies even though it is similar is good enough to allow genetic editing using ONLY to save lives.
Genetic modification seems like a great opportunity to benefit humans and prevent disease, however, we don’t understand the long term risks associated with this extreme scientific modification. I personally worry that the planet is already overpopulated and as we irradiate disease in unnatural ways, we are contributing significantly. Also, there is a fine line between genetic modification for health benefits and genetic modification for designer babies and for profit. Natural selection and natural balances (i.e. sex selection, physical traits that allow for biases, etc.) could be very dangerous to mess with (on a scientific level, but also on a societal level). I am torn because it is easy to see the positive side of genetic modification, however, it is important to consider the pros and the cons.
I find the idea behind Human Genetic Engineering very interesting. However, I foresee potential complications. One of which is that is could be used by people who have poor intentions. Additionally there may be many people who want to alter genes not because they cause illnesses or deformities but because they don’t like certain things about themselves or others. There is certainly an element of ethics involved. Had the “gene surgery” not worked an put the twin girls at heightened risk for getting HIV poses a great risk with human trials. I think Genetic Engineering has amazing potential but needs strict regulations and guidelines before it is released to public.
This genetic work is really cool and very interesting. It is amazing what we can do with science now. However, I do not think this genetic modification should be allowed. There are diseases and plagues and other sorts of harmful mutations that affect people everywhere. If we start completely correcting all possible genetic diseases we are not only setting ourselves up for over populating the planet but also for creating some sort of “super disease” that continuously modifies itself and competes with our genetic modifications. This view may seem sinister but the population needs a carrying capacity and diseases help keep the population under control.
My feelings towards this type of gene therapy are ambivalent. On one hand, I am in support of this due to the potential of being able to treat and cure diseases that have crippled humans for centuries. There is also potential to eradicate diseases as well if these defenses can be passed on to subsequent generations. Contrarily, I also acknowledge the risks that science holds. With trial sometimes comes error. As much as we like to believe that we can manipulate things due to knowing as much as we can about them, we are often stunned by our arrogance when biology deviates from a doctrine we create. Whether it be a mutation or sepsis due to rejection or whatever the case, there is a risk with everything. Therefore, it is great that geneticists have taken their time with these things to ensure the safety of the patient because that should always be priority.
I think genetic modification should be allowed to be use on humans with strict and proper guidelines like other classmates mentioned. I view it as a preventative care in a way. I think if we are able to modify our genetic in this case prevent HIV infection, why wouldn’t we use it to do so. I think before it can be used in humans, just like the gene therapy, a lot of trials should be done and proven to be effective in animals before the human trials. I think they should also put down strict regulations so that it cannot be misuse.
I think genetic modifications that can be passed from generation to generation should be allowed for humans, but to a certain extent. I agree with the speaker in the video as he said that this it is only meant to help a small number of families for certain cases because I think that it can be extremely beneficial like it was in this case to save these girls from battling a lifetime HIV diagnosis but I think it can be harmful if used for personal gain. Safety must be considered as well as performing gene surgery is relatively new and although the part of the gene sequence that is to be changed is decided, there could be unintended alterations that could further affect or even damage the genome.
I personally have never really agreed with genetic modification, especially for purposes such as creating cuter dogs and such (which normally results with health issues rather than benefits.). I strongly feel that that is an area of life that we should leave up to God, He created genetics in the first place and it is not our place to change it. Although, I do see the benefit of it being used in medical purposes. If we were able to use genetic modification to prevent cancer and or other diseases in humans, I would probably stand in agreement, but there are so many areas in life where genetic modification can be abused, and there are so many people out there willing to abuse it. If we could find a way to limit genetic modification to medical purposes and medical purposes alone, then yes, I think it’s a great idea. But we can’t guarantee that, and so I feel that it should be left alone.
The advancements in science that the human race has discovered and created are astonishing and this is one fine example. The ability to genetically engineer/modify someone’s genetic makeup to rid them of diseases, and other such things, is a great ability to have. I believe that genetic engineering/modification should be allowed but with strict standards and only in the sense of helping someone. By that I mean this ability should not be allowed to be used to “build your baby” but instead, used only to rid them of things harmful to their wellbeing, such as diseases.
The idea of possessing the power to physically change the genetic makeup of a human being almost sounds unbelievable. Our scientific knowledge has grown (and continues to grow) so much every day. My fear would be that some individuals may find ways to abuse this power. It would be incredible to utilize human genetic engineering as a preventative measure against the plethora of diseases that are currently ravaging millions of people all over the world; but, looking at the big picture, how can we be sure that modifying the genetic makeup of a portion of the population won’t negatively impact the generations to come? The safety of the human population should ultimately be the main concern.
I feel very conflicted about my answer. Obviously, I don’t want people to suffer from a debilitating disease that we could possibly cure/ prevent altogether. But at the same time, I realize how big of a problem overpopulation can be/ is. We are depleting the Earth’s resources a lot faster than we are creating them. These diseases are helping kill off some people and are actually helping our planet. In conclusion, I guess I would say that genetic modification is a great scientific feat but perhaps we should guarantee our place on this or another planet for many years to come before we increase the number of lives on this planet.
In my opinion I think that genetic engineering is an exciting and helpful tool that can be used to help prevent diseases and illnesses. Genetic research like this can lead to a doorway of new discoveries and possibilities that can help eradicate sicknesses that have been around for a long time. Even though this can be a very positive thing, that is only if it is used for its intended purpose. Genetic engineering has great potential, but it could also end up being used for purposes that it wasn’t intended for. I can see that the use of Crispr will be playing a big part in the future of medicine. There should be strict guidelines put down while it is still experimental, but I think it is a welcome new thing that will be good to save peoples lives in the future.
I think that in theory this type of genetic engineering is amazing. The ability to eliminate unnecessary suffering in humans is a huge triumph. However, I do think this type of therapy needs to be very highly regulated. There is a very thin line between ethical and unethical behaviors in this field. Eliminating genetic diseases is one thing but when people start using this technology to create “designer babies”, picking out eye/hair colors for their kids, is another. So overall, yes, I believe this therapy is a positive thing and should be allowed. But there needs to be very strict and defined rules and regulations around it.
I believe that genetic engineering has the potential to prevent many terrible diseases in babies and give people who never thought they could have a family that opportunity. There would need to be specific restrictions on genetic engineering. It shouldn’t be used to change a babies physical appearance as mentioned in the video. It should only be used to prevent genetics diseases and infection like HIV so that people can start healthy families. I think that it would be a waste not to allow the use of gene modifications for families like the one in the video. As long as it has appropriate restrictions I believe that genetic engineering could change the path of genetic diseases and other conditions.
Personally I believe that genetic engineering could hold many benefits, especially when it comes to health. If through genetic engineering we can give people an improved quality of life or a shot at life they might not have had then we should do it. However, as many of my classmates have also stated, this type of technology should in no way be taken lightly. If used carefully in only a few cases like stated in the video then I think genetic engineering has great potential. My fear is that this type of technology could be abused by anyone in power to be used in a negative way.
As CRISPR has undoubtedly gained much attention in the avenue of gene therapy, it has also become a controversial topic in the concept of altering genes for the desire of certain traits or characteristics that could be considered more desirable, such as increased IQ. The last example would be a negative. Using this technology to prevent newborn children from acquiring life threatening and ultimately life-long diseases is a positive. For example, Lulu and Nana could have been born with HIV and this may have had an extremely negative impact on their lives. Using CRISPR for these reasons in the limelight seems like it would be a positive and has its benefits but there hasn’t been enough research on the long term effects of gene modification with this technique. There could be problems in the longevity of the DNA which could end up causing mutations or other problems with health such as issues in the immune system. I think there needs to be more extensive research done first, possibly but not preferably, on animals. I feel that people would widely benefit from this technology in many ways, including having children free of diseases, being treated for diseases that can drastically decrease performance in the overall activities of daily living, and possibly bringing awareness to some of the rare genetic mutations that can be treated before they are passed down from generation to generation.
Overall, there are many factors which could aid in the advancements and complete health of the human species but the approach has to take into account potential side effects and an extensive collection of long term research yet to be performed.
I am unsure about genetic engineering and modifications in the genetic makeup of babies. It is totally fine to help families out by preventing the inheritance of such inheritable diseases, but human nature is notorious of exploiting the available resources and using it for all wrong purposes. What if people start misusing it and start making genetic engineered babies all for wrong purposes. It would be best if it gets really strictly monitored and only be allowed to families with serious medical conditions.
It is simply mind-blowing how much science has evolved. Personally I think the use of genetic engineering as a technique to eradicate or at least curb the prevalence of certain diseases among individuals is a good thing. I am all for medical advancement in treating diseases such as cancers, sickle cell anemia, cystic fibrosis, and cognitive disorders like autism, to save lives and help individuals function to the best of their abilities. However, doctoring embryos, I think is just going beyond normal. This is something that is basically going to be passed on to generations and affect the human race or a fraction of it in the long run, should it be encouraged. I feel like it sounds bizarre and far-fetched. Moreover, this technique of genetic modification is still very preliminary as the doctor put it in the audio interview. It is still very experimental and things could go awry. So, there are a lot of safety, legal and ethical issues to be considered. On a lighter note, it is funny how one of the genetically engineered babies has the same name as my husband….”Nana.” lol.
The world of Genetics as absolutely fascinating, However as good for the world as the new discoveries and correcting of genetic flaws in humankind is. We as humans need to really watch our Ps and Qs. Hollywood has been making movies about this type of science for decades and they always end the same. The tech, science gets into the wrong hands and bad things happen. And contrary to popular belief I do not believe the Government is the right hands to place this science in, just my 2 pennies.