The Benefits of Genetic Engineering

Even though the critics do not think that genetic medicine is safe, Americans should all support genetic testing because the testing is revolutionary, more effective, and can cause major diseases to fade away. This is why and why genetic testing should be used to enhance regular medicine. If society supports genetic experimentation, the United States of America can lead countries into a modern day medical renaissance in a new and exciting part of science and technology which can revolutionize the world. Scientists are currently working to develop a new branch of medical help. This new study is challenging the way people think about DNA.

Gene Therapy is a modern treatment which uses genes to treat or prevent genetic diseases. It is a process of which DNA is used as a drug to treat a disease by delivering therapeutic DNA into a patients cell. The mutated gene is replaced by a healthier, functional/therapeutic gene which corrects and converts the cells lacking in protein or faultiness. Our future is based behind our genes in the body and scientists are trying to move away from drugs as a solution. Gene therapy is revolutionising the world of medicine and it could be the biggest and most helpful treatment created.

Since these breakthroughs, the field of genetics has exploded with new research and ideas to help improve society. Genetic engineering is crucial to improving the health of organisms through early detection or by actually changing the DNA itself. If scientists were able to map out genomes of organisms, it would help them to find and prevent diseases. If some diseases were hereditary (inherited) they could be caught early and ... ... middle of paper ... ...the effects that altering of DNA will create so society needs to be careful. The advantages of genetic engineering are endless, but things like cloning and “tailor made” children are pushing the limit because they cause many moral and ethical issues.

The idea soon influenced medicine, the idea of strengthening the healthy cells and isolating them from the unhealthy ones. The simple idea Darwin discovered had changed medicine as a whole. Today, doctors and scientists are able to manipulate genes in order to create new treatments and cures. Today, Darwin’s discovery changed and saved millions of lives around the world. Despite the fact that genetic engineering can have a negative impact on society, it was an important discovery due to the advancement in conventional medicine.

Genetic engineering is the modification of the characteristics in an organism by manipulating its genetic material. Genetic engineering can and will be a huge scientific breakthrough for mankind, and should be allowed because diseases like cancer and viral infections will be prevented, have cures and better treatment options, genetic engineering will allow for greater genetic diversity, and will benefit society and the environment. Genetic engineering is going to allow for the treatment and prevention of some diseases like cancer and certain viral infections. Researchers can use a fairly new technology called a haplotype to find errors in a gene that increase the probability of getting a certain disease like cancer. Researchers are also analyzing the cell’s molecular instruction for protein synthesis and creating a list of all proteins produced by these cancer cells which will tell us how a specific cancer cell is going to work and what treatment will work on that cancer cell (Schacter 21, 43).

In the modern world humans have been able to design and create nearly anything, most to aid us in our daily lives and improve our standard of living. It is only inevitable that eventually humans would take our superior knowledge and skill to manipulate life itself and change our genome to produce a healthier and even more superior human standard of life. In recent years discussion about gene therapy has changed into a promising possibility to treat many of our common human diseases and disorders. Although gene therapy might be the answer to many problems, it has been met with a number of logistical and ethical hardships. With the prospect of being a treatment for inherited genetic disorders, cancers, and viral infections, gene therapy seems like the logical fix-it-all bandage that many people would benefit from.

Somatic gene therapy is currently being researched more aggressively due to ethical and technical complications with germline gene therapy. Technical Aspects Gene therapy began with the Human Genome Project. The Human Genome Project has found gene locations for many diseases. Among the diseases that have been found Huntington’s disease, cystic fibrosis, ADA deficiency, and two genes for breast cancer are just a few examples. After a disease-causing gene is found, correcting it is the next logical step.

Cloning can be helpful to those who. “The hope is that cells can be generated to cure these types of diseases where one cell has gone wrong. The growth and transplant of new nerve cells would help with Parkinson’s, the growth cells to produce more insulin for diabetics, and new heart muscle for those suffering from heart disease.” –MCB181 Honors Biology Group 1. Taking the risk of this cloning procedure cannot only extend a person’s lifetime but can also save their life from having to worry about reoccurring organ problems. The medical application of this achievement, benefiting an immense amount of people, is the therapeutic use of cloning.

(The President’s council on Bioethics 1) Cloning has come very far through science within the last few decades. Although it is a natural part of the world, scientists have taken a simple idea and expanded it further then what was thought possible. Though cloning faces many challenges, scientists such as Dr. Richard Seed continue their research in perfecting cloning in order to benefit the world. Cloning, a controversial topic thought to do harm, but simply misunderstood. The fact is, cloning could improve life more than what can be comprehended or as Dr. Richard Seed said, cloning will be taking “humanity one step closer to God.”

Gene therapy is the replacement, or insertion, of an infected gene with a genetically altered and new healthy gene. The uses of gene therapy can open doors to many new cures for genetic diseases. It could be a cure for almost any abnormality as well. Therefore, with the help of gene therapy, human beings can benefit and even prolong their existence by preventing fatal diseases in future generations of families. Gene therapy is the insertion of normal or genetically altered genes into cells usually to replace defective or diseased genes in the body.