Scientists get 'gene editing' go-ahead

[Jimbuna]

UK scientists have been given the go-ahead by the fertility regulator to genetically modify human embryos.
It is the first time a country has considered the DNA-altering technique in embryos and approved it.
The research will take place at the Francis Crick Institute in London and aims to provide a deeper understanding of the earliest moments of human life.
It will be illegal for the scientists to implant the modified embryos into a woman.
But the field is attracting controversy over concerns it is opening the door to designer - or GM - babies.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-35459054

Is this tampering with human nature or are the potential benefits going to far outweigh the risks?

[kraznyi_oktjabr]

First thoughts? Somehow this reminded me of concept art depicting genetically zero-G optimized "humans" with legs replaced with second set of hands...

Now if I could remember which documentary had them.

[tomfon]

"Editing the DNA for understanding deeper the earliest moments of human life."

Yeap, i heard about this morning. It sounds like a euphemism for eugenics to me.

Who can ensure that this kind of knowledge will be used for medical purposes only and not for remapping the human DNA in order to create a priveleged "pure-free of all diseases" race?

I guess that they must have been experimenting a lot in the past few years. This kind of "know-how" can't have been obtained in the recent past.

Have you watched "Elysium" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oIBtePb-dGY)?

[Oberon]

I think that genetic mapping and alteration is a bit like AI, it's one of those things that's going to be very hard to hold back, despite ethical concerns, because eventually somewhere which has less concerns about crossing ethical boundaries will push forward and do it, and then the rest of the world will run to catch up with it.
In that respect I fully expect the first cloned human to come from the PRC (in before 'They all look the same anyway') although there will be quite a few false announcements before one is actually confirmed.

That being said, there is a lot of positives to be had from this technology, positives that could be used in the current day with the warning about the Zika virus by the WHO making the headlines. Perhaps one day the likes of Zika will be a thing of the past as our bodies are created immune to such things. Also the eradication of various mental and physical disabilities in babies.
However, it's something that comes with a caveat, it has to be applied universally or not at all. Either everyone has the chance to give birth to a child free from ailments or no-one should be able to. Otherwise we risk the possibility of creating a divide between those who can and those who cannot afford these treatments. As it stands, even with universal treatment, there will be those who will refuse to go along with it, and their offspring will have a disadvantage compared to those who do. This will be a problem, one that will have to be looked at in depth before it becomes a problem too big to handle.

After that, of course, comes augmentation, Deus Ex style, a mixture of biological and mechanical upgrades to the human body to enable us to live longer, smarter and perhaps most importantly, to keep up alongside the AI machines which will be overtaking us on all fronts, and indeed in many cases, replacing us.

[vienna]

As with most matters dealing with human health, look for the money: if there is a way to monetize the results of the experimentation, be assured the big pharma concerns will be there with open checkbooks to finance profitable results, exclusively patent profitable results, and maximize the rate of return for maximum profits. What almost inevitably and invariably results is a vastly overpriced end-product, excluding the benefits from those without sufficient economic standing and/or without sufficient insurance coverage to provide for the therapy. If the past foretells the future, it will be the "haves" in good health and the "have nots" suffering. Also, be assured the medical practitioners and insurance companies will squeeze the patients for all they can get also...


<O>

[CaptainRamius]

When I first read this thread's title, my first thought was Jurrassic Park and then Jurassic World!

[Oberon]

https://i.ytimg.com/vi/09Iuzgy9wSY/maxresdefault.jpg

[STEED]

As with most matters dealing with human health, look for the money: if there is a way to monetize the results of the experimentation, be assured the big pharma concerns will be there with open checkbooks to finance profitable results, exclusively patent profitable results, and maximize the rate of return for maximum profits. What almost inevitably and invariably results is a vastly overpriced end-product, excluding the benefits from those without sufficient economic standing and/or without sufficient insurance coverage to provide for the therapy. If the past foretells the future, it will be the "haves" in good health and the "have nots" suffering. Also, be assured the medical practitioners and insurance companies will squeeze the patients for all they can get also...


<O>

Sad but true.

[tomfon]

It is indeed quite a complex matter. For the first time we are having a discussion about the prospect of humans "programming" humans. Given the fact that, partly, humanity has evolved through epidemics, viruses, diseases and catastrophic events, it makes me think that this is not only about scientific progress and disease elimination. Illness, of any kind, has always been a problem for humanity. Thus, in my opinion, Oberon's remark about ensuring "universal application" is as true as the fact that progress doesn't always go hand in hand with prudent use of its applications. In Physics, for example, splitting the atom was an immediate consequence of understanding & deciphering the structure of matter but on a fine morning humanity heard Oppenheimer saying, "I have become death". I know that my comment sounds somehow "dark" or sort of but it is not my intention to turn this thread into a debate about bioethics. "My two cents", only. Cheers!

[Rockstar]

IMO what Monsanto has done to the seed, so too will science do to humans. They will see their genetically modified organisms as their patented intellectual property.

Once again one man will be another mans property.

[Betonov]

There will also be the side effect of fixing genetical diseases before the child is even born.
No more autism, no more deformed limbs, missing organs etc.

I think any ''mad scientist'' fears shouldn't outweigh the medical benefits

[Rockstar]

There will also be the side effect of fixing genetical diseases before the child is even born.
No more autism, no more deformed limbs, missing organs etc.

I think any ''mad scientist'' fears shouldn't outweigh the medical benefits


Maybe but if what we are doing now is any indication as to how far it can go. Already slaves are made as the body parts of aborted life forms are harvested in the name of humanity, of course. Once they figure out and become good at altering genes Id wager the next step would be to start tweaking it to build something new to serve... I mean, benefit the living. People are so afraid of their own mortality they will stop at nothing.

“Jesus did. I was hopping along, when suddenly he comes and cures me. One minute I'm a leper with a trade, next moment me livelihood's gone. Not so much as a by your leave. Look. I'm not saying that being a leper was a bowl of cherries. But it was a living. I mean, you try waving muscular suntanned limbs in people's faces demanding compassion. It's a bloody disaster.”

[Commander Wallace]

As with any technological advancement, the potential for abuse will always exist. Understanding the genetic code and nucleotide sequencing and perhaps manipulation of the same offered promising results with regards to genetic disorders. Stem or mesenchymal cell research similarly offered hope where one may have been seriously injured or again suffered a genetic issue.

Sadly, it seems more work was done repairing disorders instead of identifying risk factors and preventing diseases from happening in the first place.


Currently, both China and Russia are involved in what is called " Human enhancement operations "

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_enhancement

http://www.businessinsider.com/china-edited-human-genome-laws-2015-4


It's up to the readers to determine on their own if this constitutes abuse.

It's ironic though that we are now hearing of Zika viruses and such that were previously unknown .

Genetically engineered ? you decide.