Genetic Enhancement

Genetic Enhancement

Rels 300 / Nurs 3302 December 2015

1German Super-Baby2004: The New England Journal of Medicine photo and article:7-month old baby has a genetic condition that results in extraordinary muscle growth.At 4 yrs. old, he could hold 7-pound weights in his hands with both arms extended.The boys condition is calledGross Muscle HypertrophyIt is characterized by a genetic mutation that blocks the production of myostatin.2

300/330 - applebyAnimal Research - Mighty MouseSe-Jin Lee, M.D., Ph.D., professor of molecular biology and genetics at Johns Hopkins UniversityLee and his team discovered in 1997 that knocking out the myostatin gene led to mice that were twice as muscular as their normal siblings, lending them the moniker "mighty mice." Later, others showed that naturally bulky cattle, such as Belgian Blues, got their extra muscles from lack of myostatin, too.3

300/330 - applebyNatural Genetic AdvantageIt is clear simply by looking at the bodies of many gold-medal Olympians that they have a natural genetic advantage.

The German super-babys Mom was a sprinter with large muscles. Many of the men in her family are also extraordinarily large and strongly muscled.

The Mom has one chromosome with the genetic mutation; her son has the genetic mutation on both chromosomes.4300/330 - applebyMedical Uses of this FindingWhat diseases have muscle wasting as a primary symptom?What diseases lead to muscle wasting as a secondary symptom of the disease process?What other conditions involve muscle wasting?If a myostatin-blocking drug or gene therapy can be found, should it be developed for use in humans?5300/330 - applebyBoosting red-blood-cell productionIn our bodies, a protein called erythropoietin, or epo, regulates the production of red blood cells, which carry oxygen to our muscles. The more epo you have, the more red blood cells you make. Researchers are working on injecting a gene that would allow the body to make far more epo than normal, without thickening the blood with too many red blood cells.What are the potential uses of this genetic enhancement of oxygenation potential?What ends should this technology serve?Who should have access; should anyone be denied access?6300/330 - applebyWhen H. Lee Sweeney, a professor of physiology and medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, first used gene therapy to create super-muscular mice in 1998, he was swamped by e-mail messages from athletes and coaches wanting to use his discovery to improve athletic performance. One request came from a high-school football player who wanted to inject all the kids on his team.7Many athletes and their coaches are avidlyfollowing the latest scientific developments

300/330 - applebyIs it wrong for athletes without this kind of extraordinary natural capacity to want to level the playing field?8YES?

NO?

WHY?

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8Design Your Own Baby: Patent Granted

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1sspJ3QNtcY

300/330 - appleby9Is Genetic Enhancement Inevitable?Dalhousies Francoise Baylis & Jason Scott Robert say,We contend that attempts to develop and use [genetic enhancement technologies] are inevitable.

Why would they say this?10300/330 - applebyObjections to genetic enhancement:Theme 1: Genetic enhancement technologies are intrinsically wrong

genetic enhancement technologies = playing GodIt is wrong to intentionally shape and manipulate the human genetic structure.genetic enhancement transgresses against the intrinsic value of human dignity11300/330 - applebyTheme 2: Genetic enhancement has negative biological consequencesGenetic enhancement technologies introduce a threat to our common genetic heritage

What might be threatening about genetic enhancement?

12300/330 - applebyDesigner baby controversy: Scientists edit genome of human embryoBy Ashley Welch CBS News April 24, 2015

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/designer-baby-controversy-scientists-edit-genome-of-human-embryo/

300/330 - appleby13Our Genetic Future (A Survey by PBS)What are your thoughts about our genetic future? Take this survey and let us know what you think. Question 1:

Would you want yourself or a loved one to be tested for a gene that increases your risk for a disease, but does not determine whether you will actually develop the disease?

Yes No Undecided

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/genome/survey.html14300/330 - applebyQuestion 2:

Would you want yourself and your mate to be tested before having offspring to determine whether you were both carriers for a disease, in which case you are at high risk for having a child who contracts the disease?

Yes No Undecided

15300/330 - applebyQuestion 3:

Should testing of unborn children be restricted to traits that are commonly considered deleterious, such as disease genes?

Yes No Undecided

16300/330 - applebyQuestion 4:

Should altering a newly conceived person to improve normal qualities -- such as innate intelligence, appearance, strength, etcetera -- be allowed?

Yes No Undecided

17300/330 - applebyQuestion 5:

Should genes or other genomic material be patented?

Yes No Undecided

18300/330 - applebyQuestion 10:

Based on what you know now, do you think we as a society are prepared to deal with all of the information that will come out of the Human Genome project?

Yes No Undecided19300/330 - applebyTheme 3: Use of genetic enhancement techno-logies will result in harmful social consequencesGenetic enhancement technologies will have both individual consequences and potentially enormous social consequences

increased heighthttp://www.lpch.org/DiseaseHealthInfo/HealthLibrary/diabetes/ghd.html http://www.thenewatlantis.com/publications/human-growth-hormone-and-the-measure-of-man http://www.usdoctor.com/gh.htm 20300/330 - appleby20The Case Against Perfection: What's wrong with designer children, bionic athletes, and genetic engineering?Michael J. Sandel; The Atlantic, April 2004Since the 1980s human growth hormone has been approved for children with a hormone deficiency that makes them much shorter than average.[S]ome doctors began prescribing hormone treatments for children whose short stature was unrelated to any medical problem. By 1996 such "off-label" use accounted for 40 percent of human-growth-hormone prescriptions.300/330 - appleby21Eli Lilly & Co. recently persuaded the FDA to approve its human growth hormone for healthy children whose projected adult height is in the bottom one percentileunder five feet three inches for boys and four feet eleven inches for girls. This concession raises a large question about the ethics of enhancement: If hormone treatments need not be limited to those with hormone deficiencies, why should they be available only to very short children? Why shouldn't all shorter-than-average children be able to seek treatment? And what about a child of average height who wants to be taller so that he can make the basketball team?300/330 - appleby22Increased life-spanhttp://www.worldhealth.net/news/anti-ageing_gene_found300/330 - appleby23

http://www.lifeextension.com/magazine/2011/9/programming-genes-to-extend-life-span/page-01 Theme 3: contdGenetic enhancement will widen the gap between the haves and the have-nots This could leading to increasing realms of discrimination

For some,Genetic enhancement will promote personal and social .?For others,Genetic enhancement will undermine personal and social ..?24300/330 - applebyTheme 4: The means of achieving good ends are not all morally equalWhile enhancing human capacities and traits may be a laudable goal, differing means by which goals are achieved are not morally equalgoal = athletic achievement; means = training; steroids; top-notch equipment; HGH; myostatin suppression; endurance traininggoal = academic excellence on exam; means = mood enhancement (SSRIs); class attendance; Ritalin use (increased attention); study; genetic enhancement of memory; Modafil to prevent sleepAre these means all morally equal? Or acceptable?25300/330 - applebyBaylis & Roberts say genetic enhancement technologies are inevitable because:humans are competitive beings, always looking for new and challenging opportunities to maximize personal, social and economic gain for many people, their goal is to exceed all possible human limits, in themselves and in their children300/330 - appleby26In support of EnhancementHuman persons already make choices that affect the development of their children:Choosing healthy procreative partners (or donors)Preimplantation embryo testingPrenatal testing Gestational health & interventionsMany enhancements would improve a childs well-being and are non-harmfulGenetic choices are an aspect of procreative libertyParental choices should not be restrictedParental autonomy should not be undermined

300/330 - appleby27Designer Babies? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ixEDLa3Jlc trait selectioncosmetic reasonssex preferenceeye colour, hair colourathletic abilitygenetic deafnessexpectations of parents

300/330 - appleby28Where do we go from here?Bioethical attention must turn to analysing and influencing how the technologies will be developed, and the individual, social, cultural, political, economic, ecological and evolutionary ends the technologies should serve say Baylis & Roberts29300/330 - appleby