The Fear Of Gene Editing

This research paper will address current development on gene editing and its controversial use within biology and clinical application. Gene editing is perceived in two general way within today’s society, as a tool that will be able to correct disease within genetic code and prevent these diseases from getting passed on to the next generation, and way to pre-determined the genetic traits that future generations will have beyond being a medical condition that is harmful to the person born with certain genes. There is hope that this technology will help eliminate illnesses that originate within the root of human cells but there is also skepticism that this new technology could lead the world into a genetic war.

To understand current gene editing technology the finding of the Genome project must be introduced and explained to further evaluate the relationship government has with gene editing technologies, in addition to understand the connotation this technology has within the general public. According to Mark Guyer one of the major goals in the Genome Project was,” to develop, efficiently and cost-efficiency, detailed genetic and physical maps of the human genome” (10841). This research is being pursued with good intentions on learning the composition of the human body. In other words, this is basic knowledge that will later have better implication within the science. During this stage of genetic technology, studies conducted were not concerned on editing genes but understanding the relationships in which the body functions and genes are expressed in various ways (Guyer 10841-10844).

The Genome project addressed a major implication for the data that was collected “ ‘ gene identification’… the isolation of gene(s) underlying phenotypes or traits, such as a diseases… are being found rapidly increasing”( Guyer 10845). It is important to note that this basic knowledge is transitioning into an applied science aiming to specifically identify diseases and the genetic code that express them. Now that a few genes can be label as causing variables to certain disease within the science field there is more incentive to learn more about genetics. And knowing the certain genes that manifest certain disease within human beings can foreshadow methods in which a person can change the possibility of exhibiting the disease by focusing on healthy life style habits and treatments (Guyer 10846). Looking into the initial purpose at the surface it is not clear what problem genetic research but within this article two main concerns are addressed, the procedure and education of gene testing and how this knowledge is used to affect the dynamic of participation within society, the workforce.

From this newly discovered technology in the late 1900’s arises certain policies that would help promote genetic research in the future. The information that was collected brought in two major policy that will help regulate information within society and brought about certain call to action about making this information oblivious to the community and not an incentive for harming society. According to Guyer,” the ruling by U.S Equal Employment Opportunities Commission (EEOC) genetic discrimination in employment decisions is illegal” (108847). Since genes were openly available to the science community, they can easily be used to pick workers that are not affected by inheritable diseases, health workers that improve the productivity of the working environment and will not provide any worries about the coworker’s health. However, inheritable diseases are not transferred by being in the same room as a person who may have a birth defect of illness that affects the way their body might function. Diseases do not hinder the possibility to complete a task but makes it a little more difficult for a person to accomplish. The article implies this dynamic when Guyer states,” interpreted in a way… considered to be ‘normal’ and ‘healthy’ …. or to inappropriate label an individuals as sick or abnormal” (10847).

Diseases are expressed through genes within the human body and learning more about the way DNA functions can help understand the ways that scientist can fix illnesses within genetic code, which leads to formulation of the future use of this technology, gene editing. The government is not akin to restricting research on genetic knowledge until genetic information finding became a social problem involving human gene editing procedures. The genome project has fueled a slippery slope behind gene editing that is not only feared by the general public but also the government.

The Genome project introduced gene sequencing to the world and the world now has responded to the modern use of gene research and for most gene editing using CRISPR Cas 9. According to Baltimore,” CRISPR-Cas 9 system enables introduction of DNA sequence changes that correct genetic defects in whole animals”(1). The introduction of this new technology can provide the foundations tools to fix mutations in the human genome and learn the possible causes of gene mutations that are not specifically known because this technology has also been proven to create mutations (Baltimore 1). The fears behind gene editing are prevalent within society and are concerned with the traits and abilities that will be introduced within the gene pool other than fixing diseases and defects that make it harder for a person to live and perform daily tasks.

According to Bailey,” Therapeutic technologies are meant to restore impaired or degraded human capacities… any enhancements would alter human functioning beyond the normal” (16). This transitioning of genetic research application implies that diseases are no longer a concern within a future society that has perfected the Cas9 editing technology and has a full understanding of the components within the human genome. The issue that arise here the availability of gene editing technology, since this is a medical procedure it is assumed that it will be very costly to receive this treatment.