What are your thoughts on genetic manipulation?

[Thanatopsis]

Sports Illustrated came today, and it had an article about gene enhancement. To summarize, researchers at UPenn injected genes into a mouse that caused it to grow bigger muscles and keep them as it aged. The gene caused the muscles to produce IGF-1 (insulin growth factor-1), a hormone that helps muscles grow and repair themselves. IGF-1 "keeps the muscles churning out insulin-like growth factor-1 indefinitely, which theoretically could allow the athlete to perform at an optimal level years past what is now considered his prime" (SI p. 89).

I saw a couple of topics about genetically enhancing babies, but this is not the same. At any age, doctors could inject you with a gene-carrying virus (the method used to introduce the gene to the mouse) that would populate itself through your body. None of this would have to be done before you were born.

From what the article says, its a small step from mice to humans. Scienctists already have a map of the human genome. It would just be a matter of programming a virus to carry the gene into your cells. Athletes all over the world could use this method to enhance their performance. Science could create superhumans, ethics and other complications aside.

What do you see as the implications of this? Should we "play God"? Or is it acceptable to enhance ourselves, helping evolution (or God) along?

 

[warcleric]

It would make the Olympics interesting.

 

[Thanatopsis]

Another quote from the article:

"'I honestly believe that if the Soviet Union hadn't fallen apart, it would be genetically altering humans by now,' Sweeney says. 'The Soviets were always more willing to push the envelope than we're allowed to here. And the next step would be to pick mothers and fathers of the next generation of athletes, give their children altered genes to determine all kinds of talents, then watch them grow. Who knows where it could go?'" (SI p. 92).

If some countries allow gene enhance and others don't, how long would it be until we have genetic haves and have-nots as in the movie Gattica?

 

[wnied]

Hey I'm all for it!

I'd love for my kid to have six arms and a few more eyes to help his old man around the house when I need a few extra hands to help out, or eagle eye vision to find that parking spot in the mall wasteland parking lots. Ahhhh, genetic Mutation....How much more American can you get?

wnied

 

[Ameesh]

i think its awsome, maybe we can fix blind,deaf,mute people, or people with dispositions to cancer or heart disese. no more ms or lou gherighs disese. plenty of good things can happen.

 

[Jothaxe]

<< What do you see as the implications of this? Should we &quot;play God&quot;? Or is it acceptable to enhance ourselves, helping evolution (or God) along? >>




Since you asked for it, here is my weird opinion on this topic:

If we DON'T genetically enhance ourselves, we are truly a failure as a species. My view of the purpose of life is to propagate and improve our existence as a life-form. I dont think there is any reason why we are here, but since we exist we ought to do the best we can to expand to improve ourselves. This includes personal improvement, but even better would be long-term species improvement.

Due to the development of our large brains, we are defeating nature's ability to keep us diverse and honed to the environment. This is why things like aesthma and poor eyesight are becoming more and more common in people - a few thousand years back you probably wouldnt have reproduced if you had these afflictions.

So, in order to offset the fact that we resist physical evolution in the species, we just change the environment to fit us, or invent crutches like glasses and inhalers.

For the first time, however, we are learning how to intentionally change ourselves for the better (physcically first, and probably mentally before long) by manipulating our genetic code.

I dont just feel like its ok to practice &quot;eugenics&quot; as some call it, but I think it is our DUTY to improve ourselves this way, or we are a very complacent and pathetic species. I am excited to see what we can do.

 

[NikPreviousAcct]

mix and matching can be fun. But you've got to remember that you're also playing with a human's life. If they screw it up, they can just say &quot;oops&quot; and let some blob-reject suffer for however long it lives? I've got mixed feelings.

 

[GasX]

If you really want to be informed about genetic research at Penn, go look up the story of Jesse Gelsinger.

 

[ratkil]

Will it make the sex better? 🙂

It's gonna happen whether it's legal or not. I guess I don't really see a problem with it, just one more complete mess to have to debate.....sigh.......

 

[GasX]

Link to the story I mentioned above.

 

[Asubit]

if god gave us the ability to alter our genes then perhaps we are destined to do it.

 

[Thanatopsis]

<<
Due to the development of our large brains, we are defeating nature's ability to keep us diverse and honed to the environment. This is why things like aesthma and poor eyesight are becoming more and more common in people - a few thousand years back you probably wouldnt have reproduced if you had these afflictions.

>>




That reminds of a saying I've heard before: Who pissed in your gene pool? Instead of natural selection then, we would be running an artificial selection system, eliminating diseases and ailments that tend to kill off the weak.

Mwlinding,

That seems to be the problem at the moment. Gene therapy is not perfect, as the body can reject the new gene and attack it, much as a person's immune system will attack an organ transplant. People still get organ transplants though, knowing the risk of rejection. The greatest tragedy would be gene therapy being banned in the US and restarting in third world countries, with little control.