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Gene Therapy: Risks and Ethical Concerns

Gene therapy offers opportunities to prevent disease but also carries risks. While studies on human volunteers have shown gene therapy's potential, they have also shown negative side effects and inconsistent effectiveness. Gene therapy should only be used for medical purposes, not aesthetic ones, as modifying a person's genetic appearance raises ethical concerns. Parents should not use gene therapy to change their child's appearance, as that decision belongs to the individual. Gene therapy's goal should be helping those who need it medically, not for superficial reasons.

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Kyla Castro
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2K views3 pages

Gene Therapy: Risks and Ethical Concerns

Gene therapy offers opportunities to prevent disease but also carries risks. While studies on human volunteers have shown gene therapy's potential, they have also shown negative side effects and inconsistent effectiveness. Gene therapy should only be used for medical purposes, not aesthetic ones, as modifying a person's genetic appearance raises ethical concerns. Parents should not use gene therapy to change their child's appearance, as that decision belongs to the individual. Gene therapy's goal should be helping those who need it medically, not for superficial reasons.

Uploaded by

Kyla Castro
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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GENE THERAPY

 WOULD YOU SUBJECT YOURSELF FOR GENE THERAPY WITHOUT


ITS 100 PERCENT ASSURANCE OF EFFECTIVENESS OR FUTURE
NEGATIVE SIDE EFFECTS?
Definitely not, though gene therapy offers a lot of great
opportunities with disease prevention. I firmly would not subject myself
for it without a wholesome assurance with the effectivity rate also with
safety and protection.
Moreover, the concept of gene therapy is exactly how to deliver a
gene to a patient’s DNA. Scientists create a custom virus that infects a
target cell, yet flies under the immune system’s radar. By doing so, the
virus leaves its own genetic material inside the cell. That cell begins to
reproduce, carrying the gene with it, and spreading it throughout the
body.

Though it is encouraging to give a chance, studies and previous


human experiments through volunteers made a negative expression on
the chances of the effectiveness of gene therapy.
One example was when a volunteer, 19-year-old Jesse Gelsinger,
in 1999 died during testing. The Arizona teen’s immune system reacted
violently as a result of the treatment. Yet, through the years cases were
sometimes impressive enough but the efficacy of gene therapy is not
continuous and sometimes could be very discouraging.

 SHOULD GENE THERAPY BE LIMITED TO MEDICAL CONCERNS


ONLY OR COULD IT BE USED FOR AESTHETIC PURPOSES?
In my opinion, gene therapy shouldn’t be used for aesthetical purposes
but if medically speaking, in terms of s omatic genetic modification which is
addressing a health condition or risk, might I say I stand with it but never to

genetically modified ones appearance. Germline modification changes the


genes in eggs, sperm, or early embryos.

Germline is the kind of gene editing that brings a debate on ethics as

this type of genetic modification is seen as creating “designer babies”. We

have no right of power to modify our offspring’s appearance. It is totally

sickening and idealistic that could turn eventually in reality. If parents aren’t

willing to love their child no matter how they are born, then they shouldn’t

have children at all. Moreover, the decision of changing ones looks should

rather be an independent decision making of one’s own body as a human

being in the due age with complete maturity.


Trying to manipulate or change that in any way is wrong. WE SHOULD

PRIORITIZE USING GENE THERAPY FOR THOSE WHO TRULY NEED IT,

AND NOT FOR AESTHETIC REASONS.

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