Rebecca Starks E-portfolio Ethics in biological anthropology Introduction to genetic testing and gene therapy Genetic testing and

gene therapy are tested in labs around the nation. The process of gene therapy uses genes to treat or prevent diseases. In the future doctors may be able to use gene therapy as substitute to drugs and surgery. There are many different forms and approaches to gene therapy, this includes: replacing mutated genes that cause disease with a healthy copy of that gene, going through and inactivating a mutated gene that is not functioning the correct way, and inserting a new healthy gene into the body that will help fight diseases. There are many ethical issues to be looked at when dealing with gene therapy, these include: when should it be used? Should it be used on the critically ill, young children, and babies? How it could affect future generations if reproductive cells were genetically altered. In what context is it acceptable to use, how normal, is defined when discussing human regards is. Should genetic therapy be used to alter human traits not dealing with disease? The United States has no specific regulation surrounding genetic therapy but the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) has regulations surrounding the well-being and medications used while performing gene therapy. Also, all institutions receiving federal funds must comply with federal rules regarding protection of human subjects in medical research, stated in the NIH guidelines for Research Involving DNA Molecules. There are laws that protect embryos from being harmed, mutated, or otherwise potentially harmed when experimenting. Critical Evaluation

There are many different views and opinions when looking at genetic therapy and testing. I want to simply focus on two. Those who believe in it and think that there is nothing wrong with it, and those who believe that it is unethical and potentially harmful to future generations among other things. Some people believe that it is not our job to play god. People believe that genetic therapy and genetic testing could have very negative outcomes. Could it one day lead to a super human species? Could it create unstoppable armies in other countries? Genetic therapy could alter the human gene pool for good one day. One of the biggest ethical concerns that people who are not on board with genetic drifting is would it single out the poor. Would it only be for the rich who could afford it? It could potentially make the rich, richer and the poor, poorer. Logical fallacies surrounding this viewpoint are slippery slope. Slippery slope is when someone believes that if we allow Genetic test and gene therapy to happen, then we will change the course of human genetics, and alters what we know, so we should not allow Genetic testing and therapy to happen. This viewpoint can be looked at as logical because there are very good supporting points. The results that people believe in could actually be good and actually happen. The opposite viewpoint of genetic testing and gene therapy is that it could greatly benefit us. It can cure disease, cancer and many other things. It can allow you to the genetically change your future offspring. It could allow us to prevent diseases. Many consider Gene therapy the medicine of the future, ndsu.edu states. These claims are all for the most part logical, gene therapy and genetic testing could benefit our nation greatly and change this forever. This viewpoint is an appeal to emotion, it makes people believe that they can be saved and protected from the worst things on earth, disease and terminal illness.

Conclusion My initial belief about genetic testing and gene therapy was no. I didnt believe that we should be playing the role of god. I believe even more now that it should not be legal to perform these experiments. Genetic testing and gene therapy both have pros and cons, we could wipe disease, save the terminally ill, and alter future generations. But it also has the possibility to create a superhuman, create unstoppable armies, be extremely harmful, and runs risks of going extremely wrong will performed. My position on this matter has become stronger; I believe that there are too many negative outcomes compared to positive ones. I feel that we could really change the future in a negative way. I found it really compelling that we could possibly one day create a superhuman species. This could be very dangerous and negative in the future. I believe that we should allow nature to take its course and not play god. Actions that I could take at this point are educating myself as much as possible and find people who believe the same thing I do.

References amy marie fleck (1998). A New Future: Gene Therapy. [ONLINE] Available at: www.ndsu.edu/pubweb/~mcclean/plsc431/students98/fleck.htm. [Last Accessed 11/22/2013]. (11/19/2013). What is Gene Therapy. [ONLINE] Available at: ghr.nlm.nih.gov/handbook/therapy/genetherapy. [Last Accessed 11/22/2013]. e.g. Microsoft Corporation (5/2006). Genetic Modification. [ONLINE] Available at: www.dnapolicy.org/science.gm.php. [Last Accessed 11/22/2013].