Morality Implications on Gene Therapy

Karina Lucar

Jill Morstad

College Writing II (ENGL 112)

10 February 2013

Morality Implications on Gene Therapy

Every individual has a specific code, a genetic blueprint that can be manipulated or altered for a specific purpose. At very early embryonic stages, cells can be differentiated between germ and somatic cells. These germ cells become the eggs or sperms of a developing organism, which transmit inheritable characteristics. All other cells in the body can be identified as somatic cells. While both types of cells contain genes, only genes in that of a germ cell's can be passed on to future generations. Often referred to as gene therapy, gene manipulation is based on the concept or idea that replacing or removing an abnormal gene by modifying its function can treat genetic disorders. Since the word "therapy" offers a promise of health benefits, it is not yet clear those gene manipulations are beneficial nor that they are made in morally founded intentions. Thus, gene alterations should be used only for the treatment of serious diseases. It cannot and never should be used in an attempt to improve or enhance human characteristics.

Gene manipulation offers someone that is born with a genetic disease or has acquired a fatal illness the chance of a potentially normal life. Whether through somatic or germ cells, risks are inevitably taken by providing such treatments. Take, for example, Bubble Boy Disease (SCID), a genetic defect that prevents the immune system from working. It has long been treated with bone marrow transplants. However, as an alternative method, researchers have discovered a way to manipulate a patient's own genes to manufacture the missing parts of the gene needed to make the immune system work. This treatment has been able to treat a dozen children since its development and years later they have been able to live normal lives. However, leukemia was a concerning risk from this procedure. It is unknown as to why gene therapy produces leukemia risks among common forms of SCID. In light of this, Dr. Donald Kohn, a SCID expert, has hopes in new findings in this area that can lead to treatments of other blood cells disorders, such as sickle cell anemia.

A phenomenon called heterozygous advantage is a case in which a recessive disorder, such as sickle cell anemia, has a unique advantage. It is in situations like these that germ cell gene therapy can ultimately do more harm than good. The problem is that even if a gene causes a given disease, it might have some unknown or not yet understood benefits. The fact that a "defective" gene has persisted through generations suggests a significant use under certain circumstances. As mentioned earlier, those who carry sickle cell anemia have quite the advantage given their situation. They are resistant to malaria, an infectious disease carried by mosquitoes. Looking at the distribution of sickle cell anemia genes, it's found most common in areas where malaria is most prevalent. Therefore, if we were to engineer away sickle cell anemia, we'd be engineering away the immunity to malaria as well.

Gene therapy will inevitably revolutionize the practice of medicine, whether the usage of somatic or germ cells takes place. However, using germ cells tampers with the genetic code and will not only affect a certain individual but their future generations as well. Thus any mistakes made on that individual's germ line would be passed down through generations. There is no way to be accountable to those in future generations who are harmed or stigmatized by wrongful or unsuccessful germ line modifications of their ancestors. So the question is, "Who are we to play God and affect those who did not agree or give any sort of consent to such treatment?

On the other hand, by engineering somatic cells, instead of germ cell, increasingly ill people can be treated by limitations to the patient only and not changing their reproductive cell traits. Somatic cell gene therapy will simply change, fix, or replace genes in just one individual. For example, if a person was to have heart trouble, gene therapy may be used alter the DNA that codes for heart function. The new DNA code will then be expressed to "fix" the problem with the heart. This way surgery wouldn't be necessary; we'd merely reprogram the body's instructions for heart maintenance.

Germ cell gene therapy can also be considered eugenics at the molecular level derived from the Greek word, "eu," meaning good, and "genos," meaning offspring. Recent advances in genetics and reproductive technology pave the way to what is now known as modern eugenics or human genetic engineering. This is focusing on the science of manipulating an individual's genetic makeup, or genotype, with the intention of altering his or her observable traits, or phenotype. Human genetic engineering can be separated into two different categories: negative and positive engineering. The negative refers to the correction of genetic disorder and deficiencies and positive, to the enhancement of an individual's genetic make up. Thus far modern eugenics is belief in the possibility of improving the qualities of human species or human population itself by altering the genome. Such concept or belief became popular around the first half of the twentieth century till it became revulsion when the Nazis took up the idea.

There are also those in society who believe that because society already allows people to change or alter their looks by using things such as plastic surgery, liposuction, growth hormones, and tattoo makeup, why not just allow the use of gene therapy as well. This would just help accomplish all of this in a more effective and long lasting way. Gene Therapy may even be utilized to stop the use of drugs for appetite suppressants. To the hundreds of people who suffer from hair loss and to the youth who are 6 inches shorter than the rest of their peers, enhancement procedures available would not be questionable. It in our nature to want to look and feel good about ourselves, and there's a large number of temporary enhancements options already available to why not just make it permanent?

Now, where should the line be drawn in altering an individual's physical appearance either internally or externally? Morally ethical issues can be drawn from such questions. As is, our society is already so focused on external perfection that people will be driven by their need to fit into the popular norms that they would reach out to great lengths to achieve and be accepted by modern day society. In theory, gene manipulation opens a door to making this concept of physical transformation a lot