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Human genetic engineering is the alteration of an individual's genotype with the aim of choosing the phenotype of a newborn or changing the existing phenotype of a child or adult.^[1] It holds the promise of curing genetic diseases like cystic fibrosis, and increasing the immunity of people to viruses. It is speculated that genetic engineering could be used to change physical appearance, metabolism, and even improve mental faculties like memory and intelligence, although for now these uses seem to be of lower priority to researchers and are therefore limited to science fiction.

History

Gene therapy trials on humans began in 2004 on patients Severe Combined Immunodeficiency (SCID). In 2000, the first gene therapy "success" resulted in SCID patients with a functional immune system. These trials were stopped when it was discovered that two of ten patients in one trial had developed leukemia resulting from the insertion of the gene-carrying retrovirus near an oncogene. In 2007, four of the ten patients had developed leukemia.^[2] Work is now focusing on correcting the gene without triggering an oncogene.

Trial treatments of SCID have been gene therapy's only success; since 1999, gene therapy has restored the immune systems of at least 17 children with two forms (ADA-SCID and X-SCID) of the disorder.

Human genetic engineering is already being used on a small scale to allow infertile women with genetic defects in their mitochondria to have children.^[3] Healthy human eggs from a second mother are used. The child produced this way has genetic information from two mothers and one father.^[3] The changes made are germline changes and will likely be passed down from generation to generation, and, thus, are a permanent change to the human genome.^[3]

Other forms of human genetic engineering are still theoretical. Recombinant DNA research is usually performed to study gene expression and various human diseases. Some drastic demonstrations of gene modification have been made with mice and other animals. In some instances changes are usually brought about by removing genetic material from one organism and transferring them into another species.

Controversy

Ethics

The potential to genetically engineer humans has raised many ethical issues. The issues range from a belief that every fetus has an inherent right to remain genetically unmodified to a belief that parents hold the rights to change their unborn children.^[4] In the middle is the belief that every child has the right to be born free from preventable diseases.

Molecular Biologist Lee M. Silver believes that unlike Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World, where a totalitarian government use eugenics to control the genetic makeup within society, the use of gene therapy to design children will be spread through what he calls “free market eugenics” (Silver 315). Wealthy families will opt to design their child with genetic advantages because other families are doing so, and everybody wants to provide their newborn child with the best opportunities in life. Silver thinks that the use of germline gene therapy will mean wealthy families pass down enhanced traits to their children, potentially disadvantaging poorer families that can not afford the technology. (Silver 313)

See also

• Bioethics
• Genetic Engineering
• Transhumanism

References

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