Question

Describe the ethical issues involved in treating diseases through Germline

engineering. (3 pages maximum)

Answer 1

Germline Engineering is the manipulations to the genes of germinal or reproductive cells - the egg and the sperm. Therefore altering the fertilized egg - the first cell of the embryo-to-be will make genetic changes in every cell of the future adult including his or her reproductive cells. Germline technology is in contrast to genetic therapy as the technology goes beyond the patient being treated. Germline technology extends human power into a sacred realm by intruding in the genetic flow from one generation to the next.

Injecting genes into a ferilized egg will extend gene therapy to the germline will demand two technical developments:

1. Introduce changes in the human cells
2. Creation of genetic improvement with enough promise to inspire us to use them.

Ethical issues:

• With regard to human germline genome editing, the ethics pertaining to human dignity is raised in two main versions: Embryo human dignity and dignity of human beings.
• The naturalness of the genetic code is considered as an intrinstic value and editing germline is treated as illegitimately ' playing God' by intervening in creation.
• The human germline engineering warn against the danger of Eugenics leading to designer babies and enhancement of human breeding leading to unequal access to therapies and discrimination.
• The most common ethical argument is the safety concern which is too unsafe for the application in humans as they have to be used with more insight.
• There is an assumption of germline editing causing harm to the embryo and its descendants.
• Modification of human genome can lead to an erosion of species boundaries.
• There are bioethical arguments relying on species affliations for the possible creation of transgenic organisms with human and animal genes and uncertainity of its moral status.
• This modern technology can dominate and control nature by intervening into the living human body of another person.
• There is no proper governance of the new genome editing technologies.
• Genome editing presents the oppurtunity to modify the genes of micro organisms, plants and animals including humans may have an influence on agriculture and in the long run on the human beings.
• There is no proper framewrk to ensure proper conduct of gene editing research and use of gene editing techniques.
• The technology should be protected from being misused.
• Determining the limits of the technology and its uses will vary according to each nation's cultural, political and legal context and would demand transnational scientific cooperation
• The general public distrust about the human genetics which arose from apprehensions of weapons of mass destruction, atomic power, etc.,
• Many citizens lack educational experiences of inquiry based analysis and a scientific background.

Principles of Ethical issues to be followed are:

1. Promoting Well being and preventing harm to those effected considered as principles of beneficence and nonmaleficence
2. Principle of Transparency is required by openness and sharing of information that is accessible and understandable to stakeholders.
3. The principle of due care for patients enrolled in research studies or receiving clinical care
4. The principle of responsible science by adhering to the highest standards of research in accordance to international and professional norms.
5. Respect for persons with recognition of personal dignity and acknowledgement of the centrality of personal choice.