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  • Essay / The Use and Ethics of Genetic Engineering

    Since the first human genome, we have begun to understand and even manipulate DNA. This led to other scientific discoveries, such as gene therapy and cloning. There have been opposing views on whether it is ethical to approach genetic engineering. I believe that genetic engineering offers positive prospects for our future. This will allow us to better understand the human genome in order to improve the lives of individuals. Regulations should be put in place to ensure that we only use our technology for those whose lives are at stake and not for those who want to have designer babies. Gene therapy is most commonly used to ensure that a baby will be healthy before birth. It has also helped treat illnesses in adults. We should finally use embryonic stem cells to treat complex pathologies, even if cloning is a possibility. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essayOne of the uses of gene therapy is prenatal gene therapy. Through this, the embryos are modified so that they do not inherit certain hereditary diseases that could cause problems later in life. Prenatal gene therapy has helped many pregnancies that otherwise would have included babies with abnormalities. According to the Human Fertilization Embryology Authority, of the 311 women who received PGD in 2010, 121 were able to give birth (“Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis”). There is no guarantee that scientists will find a healthy egg, since they can only use the characteristics of eggs, rather than creating new ones. Yet prenatal gene therapy has shaped the lives of many people by allowing them to eliminate an inherited disease from the family line. Some would argue that the use of this type of gene therapy may become so advanced that we can choose a baby's characteristics. This includes not only the absence of hereditary disease, but also appearance and personality. Although it is possible that our technology will spiral out of control, I don't think it's inevitable. With the right measures, we can distinguish between parents who want to save their child and those who want to make them ideal people. The procedure for finding a healthy egg is complicated and causes a lot of distress, especially when there is always a chance that the baby won't make it. The HFEA states that sometimes no embryo can be transferred to the uterus (“preimplantation genetic diagnosis”). If we can't be sure that a healthy baby will be born, we can't guarantee that people will want to take that risk just to change a child's appearance. Gene therapy has helped treat diseases. By continuing to understand genetics, we will be able to treat diseases in the future. We currently have limited knowledge of the human genome. Our experience in the use of gene therapy also has its limitations. It not only helped pregnancies deliver healthy babies, but it also treated illnesses. This has shown signs of success. According to CNN, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania had a treatment that allowed three blind patients to regain their sight (Cohen et al.). Surprisingly, this was achieved by giving each person a single injection into the eye. This treatment is proof that understanding how genetics works will lead us to treat more genetic defects. In contrast, our progress in genetic modification has shown no signs.