Genetic Engineering in Humans Prior to Birth: Is Reaching Perfection Really Worth Losing Everything?

It may seem that eliminating society’s current problems such as diseases and undesirable traits would solve a world of issues. This could be true, but getting to this point is possibly very dangerous. The potential consequences of playing with someone’s genetic make-up are unknown to scientists, making any move in this direction very dangerous. On the surface this appears to be an opportunity that could end suffering and worldly problems, but when giving people this much control over life, it could lead to the end of humanity. Not only is genetic engineering morally wrong, its dangers could wipe out entire species. Nobel Prize winning biologist George Wald once stated that:

Recombinant DNA technology [genetic engineering] faces our society with problems unprecedented not only in the history of science, but of life on earth. It places in human hands the capacity to redesign living organisms, the products of some three billion years of evolution… It presents probably the largest ethical problem that science has ever had to face. Our morality up to now has been to go ahead without restriction to learn all that we can about nature. Restructuring nature was not part of the bargain… for going ahead in this direction may be not only unwise but dangerous. Potentially, it could breed new animal and plant diseases, new sources of cancer, novel epidemics.[1]

The new dangers that these actions have the ability to provoke would bring forth problems to the likes of which we have not yet had to face. Because of the complexity of the human body, scientists are still in the process of piecing together all the details. It was discovered that “the human genome contains just 35,000 genes instead of the expected 100,000. So, rather than performing single duties, genes appear to multi-task and work in combination with other genes.”[2] With this knowledge that genes perform numerous functions as well as having effects on other genes, the changing or addition of a gene could have crippling effects on the genome as a whole. The methods currently used involve adding DNA instead of replacing the mutated genes.[3] Also, scientists have yet to perfect placement of new genes. According to the Institute of Science, Technology, and Public Policy, “Gene sequence is important, and there is essentially no control over where, in the human DNA strand, the foreign genes will end up.”[4] Every single move is crucial, not only because of the lack of understanding of genetic engineering in humans, but also because any mistake would be permanent. Ron Epstein of the Institute for World Religions and San Francisco State University states, “Results of flaws in this technology cannot be recalled and fixed, but become the negative heritage to countless future generations.”[5] This highlights the dilemma that if there are any missteps in the process, future societies will infinitely suffer the consequences. The Institute of Science, Technology, and Public Policy further illustrated this when stating, “Genetic surgery performed on fetuses would, with high probability, infect the germ line (egg or sperm) cells. As a consequence, any such genetic defects would be passed on to future generations, causing irreversible gene pollution and the potential for new genetic diseases.”[6] Irony can be found in this supposed “fix” for genetically-linked diseases in that it has the capability of causing new, more devastating genetic diseases that could spread very rapidly throughout our species. This new technology must be carefully studied and perfected before becoming an option for the public.

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[1] Epstein, Ron. “Ethical Dangers of Genetic Engineering.” Synthesis/Regeneration. 22 Dec. 2009. Gateway Green Education Foundation. 11 Mar. 2010.

< http://www.greens.org/s-r/20/20-01.html >

[2] Leahy, Stephen. “Biotechnology Has Failed to Live Up to Expectations.” Genetic Engineering. Ed. James D. Torr. Farmington Hills: Thomson Gale, 2006. 49. Print.

[3] Chapman, Audrey R. and Mark S. Frankel. Designing Our Descendants: The Promises and Perils of Genetic Modifications. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins, 2003. Print.