Essay On Reproductive Technologies

Gene therapy has saved many lives and given a second chance to many people. Gene therapy was used to treat a girl 6 years old named Emma who was suffering from leukemia. The doctors had tried many treatments to cure Emma from cancer and nothing was working even though, kids at her age have an 85% chance to survive. She was on the verge of death when gene therapy was used to alter Emma’s immune cells to genetically kill cancer cells. Emma has been cancer free for two years and is living the life of a normal child.

CRISPR is a new gene-modifying tool that has the potential to treat numerous medical conditions by editing genes that are responsible for certain diseases. This technology is based on the ability of bacteria to destroy the DNA of invading viruses. Studies have suggested that this new technology can be applied to human cells, although the idea of chopping up regions of the human genome can be unethical and could even be harmful. In order for the treatment to be administered to a patient, a small piece of RNA and an enzyme that makes a cut in the DNA are delivered to the cells. A biotechnology company, known as Editas Medicine, located in Cambridge, MA, is already designing treatments for conditions of the blood and the eye using CRISPR. For

In theory, CRISPR is an extreme method of gene editing and gene editing has been around for years on end. It has been used on plants to make them a more sustainable crop. CRISPR technology has not yet been perfected to be accessible to everyone. Yet the first clinical crispr trial happened in October of 2016, Michael Le Page tells us that in the first clinical trial of CRISPR being used "Doctors removed immune cells from the blood of a person with lung cancer, used CRISPR to disable a gene called PD-1 and then returned the cells to the body," the results of the trial are said to not be released until 2018 (Le Page 1).

During January of 2013, scientists based at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard were able to demonstrate fixed change in human and animal cells using CRISPR-Cas9. This marked a turning point in genetic advancement—though CRISPR was far from mastered, its potential was beginning to show.

According to Nature.com, Crispr has been the largest leap in science since 1985, when the previous gene editing software was invented. This software, called PCR took tens of thousands of dollars and several years just to modify a single gene. Crispr, however, can do the same thing in less than a month for as little as thirty dollars per gene. What twenty years ago took a team of highly qualified researchers can now be done by anyone with a high school education. This could also be viewed as a bad thing, should crispr be released to the public, it would put unlimited power into the hands of nearly anyone in the world. Another possibility would be a rise in bioterrorism. Imagine a terrorist organization getting its hands on the power to shape a virus or bacterium however they pleased. While there are safer, albeit less effective ways to fix a genetic disorder, most scientists agree that it would be a waste to "toss crispr in the trash" simply because of its scary

The Gene Hackers published by the New Yorker’s Michael Specter talks about a breakthrough technology that could allow for the creation of genetically modified humans- “humans 2.0” as he calls it. This new technology could also be the cure for many genetic disorders like Alzheimer’s, Huntington’s etc. as it would allow scientist the ease of genetically identifying and editing specific genes responsible for these genetic abnormalities. This exciting new technology will be known as Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats associated protein 9 or CRISPR-Cas 9 for short.

Research involving gene editing has been already reported, such as the UK that began gene editing in embryos, even though

There are other types of gene editing out there but research shows us that CRISPR is fast, precise, and simple. Researchers are developing a way for CRISPR therapy to help with Alzheimer’s all the way to HIV. There are two categories the researchers and people have put CRISPR in: practical and philosophical. The researchers say that the immediate barrier is practical. During the tests, CRISPR has found targets in other parts of the DNA that need fixing other than the intended part of the DNA. Because of this, it may take at least a generation to ensure that it is safe. Some people oppose CRISPR because the oppositionists say it lets people play god but getting medicine every time you get sick with the same thing obscures the natural order of things. The opportunities are getting pushed ahead for treating cancer, childhood diseases that are genetic, and how to understand diabetes better. The one question some people have is whether it’s right to edit genes that are

Modifying genomes hasn’t been perfected, and is far too great of a risk to use on society. No one knows what could happen to the population after man starts messing with mother nature. Scientists who are trying to destroy genetic diseases could create new problems or end up killing its test subjects later down the line. The possibilities for disasters are endless. People also claim that modifying humans is the fastest and most efficient way to getting rid of physical and mental health problems, but according to Molecular biologist Ellen Jorgensen, Using CRISPR isn’t what people see it to be. Ellen explains that using CRISPR is not actually easy at all. To use the technology, damaging the gene is crucial. Once the gene is damaged, and the cells start to repair, scientists can then manipulate the cells to repair the way they want it to, and not naturally. This is a complicated process, and it not in any way

According to Thorn, (2009) the chance of infertility is increased in these parts of the world as well due to likelihood of infections that can cause damage to the reproductive tract. There can be challenges for those experiencing infertility in developed countries as well however. The most common issue in fertility treatments in countries is due to lack of funds and insurance policies that limit reimbursement (Thorn). This could cause a couple struggling with infertility to not pursue or seek treatment limiting their potential to conceive. In cases like these, it is likely that their negative feelings would increase.

The process of IVF involves mixing the woman’s egg and the man’s sperm outside of the woman’s body, usually in a petri dish. Invitro fertilisation literally means ‘fertilisation in glassware’. If the fertilisation is successful, the formed embryo is transferred to

An idea that once seemed like mere science fiction is now, ever closer to becoming a reality thanks to advances in genetics, and the development of a gene editing technology called Crispr-Cas9, in 2012, which uses natural enzymes to target and snip genes

Infertility is widespread: about 7% of married couples in the United States are unable to conceive after 12 months of unprotected intercourse (Purdy, 2001, Bioethics of New Assisted Reproduction). In Vitro Fertilization is used when a women has irreparably damaged fallopian

IVF is a way to raise the chance for that number of live births to grow in women over forty-three, they Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago also shows that In-vitro was an option for women up until the age of fifty. A woman’s physical disability can lead her to an impaired ability to have children, leaving them to suffer or spend money on an infertility treatment.

Researchers have been trying to find new ways to cure disease for centuries. Gene Therapy