Germline modification on human beings is desirable and should be advanced
Genetic modification on human beings can take one of two basic forms: somatic cell modification or germline modification. ... Somatic cell modification involves treatment of any cell in a patient¡¦s body apart from the reproductive cells (egg and sperm). The modification is confined to the individual being treated and cannot be passed on to next generations. Germline modification, on the other hand, involves alternation of genetic material in a fertilized egg and therefore will affect not only the individual that develops from it, but also their offspring and all successive generations. While both technologies are developed and implemented today, only somatic cell therapy is performed on human beings. Meantime there is an intense debate in parliaments all around the world whether or not germline modification should be allowed on humans. I will argue in this paper that germline modification on humans both for therapeutic as well as enhancement purposes is desirable and should be advanced. In the first part of this paper I will demonstrate some of the benefits of germline modification, I will then show why its not possible to confine it to therapeutic use only and why banning of this technology is bound to fail and might only act against the intentions of its advocates. Finally, in the last part of this paper I will critically examine opposition¡¦s main arguments against germline manipulation on human beings. BENEFITS OF GERMLINE MODIFICATION One of the most obvious benefits of germline modification is its potential to prevent gene-caused or gene-related diseases. ... Thus it is clear that most of us could benefit from germline therapy if such treatment is possible. ... Above mentioned gene-disorders are 100% determinative of an individual¡¦s eventual condition, meaning they cannot be prevented or cured by any treatment other than genetic modification. Since 1990 when first human trials of somatic therapy were conducted, there have been already over 400 research studies world-wide. ... By this standard germline modification is much safer and there is a general consensus among scientist that germline modifications could yield much better results than somatic therapy: ¡§Germline manipulations achieve selective targeting entirely differently. The need to ferry a therapeutic gene into particular tissue disappears, because that gene is already in every cell (¡K) Compared with somatic interventions, germline insertions are in a sense more natural, in that their regulation is like that of the rest of our genome.¡¨ In fact germline modification has been successfully conducted in wide variety of animals and is routinely done in agricultural biotechnology as Bt corn demonstrates. When applied to humans germline therapy will certainly prove more cost efficient than other forms of therapy since it eliminates the causes and not only the effects of the disease and has to be performed only once. ENHANCMENT It is unlikely however that germline modification is going to be used for therapeutic purposes, since there is already an easier, safer and more cost-efficient technology allowing parent to save their children from variety of single gene diseases, namely embryo screening or pre-implantation diagnosis. ... It is also unlikely that germline manipulation is going to be widely used to enhance our cognitive abilities since as researchers suggest: ¡§In regard to human mental abilities virtually everything that the popular imagination envisions genetic engineering accomplishing is much more likely to be accomplished sooner through neuropharmacology¡¨ Same hold true for our psychological traits, as recent article in Economist magazine points out: ¡§Drugs to combat shyness, forgetfulness, sleepiness and stress are now in or close to clinical trials not to mention new generation of ¡§Super-Prozacs¡¨. ... For instance ¡§ Prosac and its relatives have been taken by some 28 million Americans, or 10 percent of the entire population¡¨ Taking those developments into consideration it seems more likely that germline modifications will appeal to us as a way of enhancing our abilities, which cannot be enhanced by simpler procedures. ... Just to list one example of enhanced human characteristic: our average lifespan has increased tremendously over the last century form an average of 48. ... Any attempt to ban germline modification is bound to fail for four reasons: „« There is a very strong desire and public pressure to enhance our abilities, „« Germline modification is not detectable, „« It requires fairly small technological capacity to be performed, „« There is no international consensus on the subject, In a recent survey, ¡§substantial segment of the population of every country polled said they would use genetic engineering both to prevent diseases and to improve the physical and mental capacities inherited by their children.