Liberal Studies
Medicine and its derivatives have made countless novel advances throughout history, developing in tandem with the human species itself. We have gone from primitive cavemen, using fire to seal wounds, to a society, at least in America, which can prevent and cure some of the once deadliest afflictions. We pride ourselves on being able to treat illness, overcome pain and constantly seek new ways to improve upon current methods, eternally questing for an improved quality of life. However, it is often the case that along with new ideas and procedures moral and ethical debates develop, asking what limits should be imposed upon the implementation of our knowledge. Such is the case of gene therapy, a controversial field seeking to improve human life, but in a manner that many see as disagreeable. Gene therapy can be defined as the treatment of certain disorders, especially those caused by genetic anomalies or deficiencies, by introducing specifically engineered genes into a patient's cells. It comes in two distinct forms, each of which must be looked at separately because of their distinctly different applications for the future of medicine and human society. Somatic gene therapy entails the alteration of genes
On the other hand are those that argue the rewards of germ-line therapy far outweigh any potential costs. They strongly believe that no person would want a dehabilitating disease, like muscular dystrophy, and that germ-line therapy could provide beneficial results for thousands of people and any children they may produce. However, the danger in adopting such a position comes out when regulations are broken, researchers step out of bounds, or when marketing firms attempt to take over such technology, invariably reducing it to a bottom-line oriented, profit-seeking machine. Also, at the present time we know so little about the effects of gene therapy procedures that we could be making dreadfully harmful mistakes completely unknowingly and unwittingly. 1.) Biotechnology Industry Organization. 1990 Biotechnology in Perspective. Proponents and opponents of gene therapy generally agree that somatic therapy is "further extension" of the same medical field that has brought us "organ transplants, radiation therapy and in vitro fertilization."3 If one pictures a person with a hereditary disease like Diabetes, it would make perfect sense, both ethically and financially, for such a person to undergo a gene treatment. Through alteration of his genes, this would allow him to produce and regulate insulin levels normally, without having to spend the reset of his life monitoring blood sugar levels and taking synthetic insulin. By directly giving this person the ability to make his own functioning enzymes, we are only improving upon the present medical system, updating it with technology, just as it has been for the past 5,000 years. It is easily seen how such procedures could be deemed beneficial, as they offer hope to people with dreadful diseases, people that had no hope before. Yet, the overwhelming question that surrounds this technology is not how it is to be done, but whether or not it ought to be done in the first place. This debate has been searing ever since th
Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1339
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)
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