The Ethics Of Gene Therapy

Gene therapy (otherwise known as somatic gene therapy or therapeutic gene therapy) is a process that is used to correct defective genes responsible for development of various diseases. (www.accessexcellence.org/RC/AB/BA/Gene_Therapy_Overview.php) There are two main types of gene therapy; somatic (body) cell gene therapy and germ line gene therapy. As it suggests, somatic gene therapy is correcting the faulty genes of normal body cells. Germ line therapy is altering genes in gametes. Everyone on earth carries a few defective genes. Most of us are unaware of this fact however, unless we are afflicted with a genetic disease. Approximately one in ten people have, or will develop, a disease that is

Scientists have projected there to be many benefits to gene therapy in the near future. For starters, gene therapy could cure diseases like cancer, aids, as well as thousands of genetic disorders (Will). Sara Goering, a philosopher concerned with biomedical ethics, argues throughout “Gene Therapies and the Pursuit of a Better Human” that germline therapy could mean disorders would be eliminated for good, leading to the relief of pain for many. It poses the possibility to eliminate human suffering at the root, and in turn, better humanity. Throughout society, people already focus on ‘enhancing’ their kids through vaccines and vitamins. Kids are out through surgeries because they are believed to be what is best. Goering points out that because of people’s willingness for treatments like this, there really are not many moral concerns prevalent (Goering 403-40). For many diseases, treatments that people already feel comfortable with will not work as effectively (“List”). Currently, there are no real cures for genetic disorders besides replacing defective

Gene therapy is an experimental technique that is used to prevent disease. For future reference, this technique may treat disorders. It may add or remove genes to get rid of a genetic disorder. Gene therapy is a heavily debated subject. There are very respectful points on both sides of this debated topic. The pro side believes that gene therapy is the best thing that is happening to our society. However, opposers of gene therapy believe that people should refrain from proceeding with this biological advancement and it is ethnically incorrect.

By using somatic gene therapy, it is possible to improve the pulmonary disease in cystic fibrosis. Somatic cell gene therapy only affects body cells and does not effect the sperm and egg cells, as it does in germ line therapy, this therefore means that will not prevent the disease occurring in future generations. Although this type of gene therapy has be seen to work and increase the life span of a person suffering from cystic fibrosis, it has to be done several times over the patients life because the effects do not last very

Demolishing genetic diseases from the human race has been and always will be a key role in science. However, there comes a point in time when moral standards have interjected the betterment of cleansing genetic diseases. One of the many branches of science that has the complete capability to exterminate our destiny of any genetic diseases, gene therapy, is being silenced due to the curse of society’s moral standards. There is a very narrow line in what is not morally correct and ethical to standards of people; causing the advancement of procedures like gene therapy to be narrow. The only explanation to gene therapy awaits on what we, as a community, can bring about for the future generations, but this is

Altering a person’s genes create an ethical issue that needs to be thought out. Altering a person’s genes could help prevent disease but without laws being in place for the extent of using this alteration, parents would be playing god with genetics (scientists seek ban). Not only would parents be playing god, but the most fundamental issue is how we will view humanity in the future and “whether we are going to take the dramatic step of modifying our own germline and in a sense take control of our genetic destiny” said George Q. Daley who is a stem cell expert at Boson Children’s hospital. (Scientists seek ban). Even though scientist want to know more about the genes ethics is important to them. Volti talks about how if this is available to

Can viruses used as vectors in the process of gene therapy be an effective treatment for Cystic Fibrosis? Firstly, Cystic Fibrosis is a genetic and recessive disease that mostly affects the lungs and pancreas. This leads to phlegm accumulation, salty sweat, male infertility, shortness of breath and increased risk of infection, which all contribute to premature death (CFF, 2017). Since it is recessive, you need two copies of the gene to manifest the disease, but 1/30 Americans have at least one copy of the gene, so it is easily passed on (Hulslander 2017). To treat this disease, some scientists believe a viral vector can be used in gene therapy while others say using a virus is too risky and suggest a non-viral approach, such as liposomes

Thousands of U.S. patients have been treated with various kinds of gene therapy, an experimental technique in which doctors use live viruses and other means to transport potentially therapeutic genes into the body just as Gelsinger was. Gelsinger suffered from Ornithine Transcarbamylase (OTC) deficiency, a genetic disorder that affects mostly boys. The disease blocks the body's ability to break down ammonia, a normal byproduct of metabolism, and often causes death soon after birth. As a result the FDA initiated proceeding that could have prevented the University of Pennsylvania gene therapy researcher, James Wilson, from testing experimental drugs or products on human subjects in this country. He repeatedly or deliberately violated regulations governing the proper conduct of clinical studies. How many people can say that they would want someone they trusted to perform a procedure that ultimately takes the research into his or her own hands and may result in death? It stirs up not only ethical issues but issues such as prejudice and discrimination. Hypothetically say there are some doctors who will decide to take a risk with your gene therapy and either add or remove something experimental. What would be the purpose of the FDA placing the guidelines that they have for gene therapy there in the first place? Research doctors are the professionals expected to do everything according to set standards and guidelines

Cystic Fibrosis (CF), is another disease that is taking to genetic therapy. If a corrected gene could somehow enter the cells that line the lungs, it will then start producing the critical proteins that CF patients need. This has been done, although in small quantities. These results, however, have raised hopes that sometime in the future, CF may be curable.

Cystic fibrosis is known to be one of the most common and deadly diseases in Caucasians, affecting 1 in 2500 children. This percentage results in 30,000 individuals within the United States to be diagnosed with CF. There are over 1900 mutations of this gene that cause a wide variety of severities within this disease. (McCance, Huether, Brashers, & Rote, 2010) Due to its complex mutation and unknown cause, only treating the symptoms of CF have been the main treatment protocol to this disease. Current treatments are cumbersome and expensive providing patients with life expectancy only into their twenties, but usually younger in most cases. There has been specific progress towards a cure involving gene therapy providing hope for a cure to

“A team of scientists conducted a trial therapy that replaced defective genes that cause cystic fibrosis. The results showed noteworthy advantage that enhanced patients' lung function. This innovation was developed by the technology firm Imperial Innovations. The worn-out genes were replaced by using inhaled molecules of DNA, which send normal working duplicate of the gene to lung cells. "Patients who received the gene therapy showed a significant, if modest, benefit in tests of lung function compared with the placebo group," said Eric Alton, the team's lead researcher, who works at Imperial College London.”

Genetic engineering is the figurehead of the ethical concerns of scientists in the 21st century. Nothing is more engrossed with criticism and dislike than the idea of altering the baseline for living organisms. Many people are skeptical of genetic engineering due to the versatility it exhibits. A scientist could use a genetic editing tool, such as CRISPR, to remove the genes for a hereditary disease in an embryo, but they could also utilize it to alter the physical characteristics of a human baby. This thought provoked the flood gates of ethics to unleash a multitude of unanswered questions and concerns about the usage and further development of genetic engineering. The field of genetic engineering is

There are two types of gene therapy; germline gene and somatic gene therapy. Germline gene therapy is considered to be a safer option for humans. This method makes changes to the gamete cells that are used in the reproductive process thus, the functional genes need to be inserted into the chromosomes. Somatic gene therapy is when genes are transferred to body cells by inserting vectors into a person’s body. There are three things that gene therapy can do; replace a mutated gene that causes a disease with a healthy gene, deactivate a mutated gene that is not able to function properly, or introduce a new gene into the body to prevent diseases. There has been a clinical trial in the past where over 3000 people were treated with gene therapy and the results were good however, this treatment method has serious health

Gene therapy is a relatively new technology that has shown some promising results. Such as the drug called Strimvelis that is used to help children with severe combined immunodeficiency, a disease that leaves infants with little to no protection against viruses, bacteria, fungi, and other potentially harmful things. It appears to be a cure carried out through a genetic pair. Strimvelis was tested on 18 children, starting 15 years ago, all of whom are still alive today. Gene therapy is used to inject genes into a person’s cells and tissues in order to treat a disease, as well as hereditary diseases where an abnormal allele is replaced with a fully functional allele. The carrier, called a vector, is used to transport the normal gene to the target cells. The most common type of vector are viruses that have been genetically altered to carry human DNA. Scientists have been trying to control the way the viruses have evolved encapsulating and delivering their genes to normal cells in a pathogenic way by manipulating the viral genome to remove disease-causing genes and inserting healthy ones. Theoretically, it is possible to transform either the cells of the body (somatic) or the cells of the sperm, ova, and their precursors (germline). All of the gene therapy experiments so far on humans have been directed to somatic cells, because germline experiments have been remaining controversial. Somatic gene therapy is split into two broad categories: ex vivo (cells are modified outside of the body then returned back again) or in vivo (genes are changed in cells while still located inside of the

If a treatment is implicated before the child is born – germline gene therapy – he or she could lose all trace of that defective gene, and therefore wouldn’t pass the disease on to future generations. In somatic gene therapy, treatment is conducted when the patient is an