The science of genome editing has been in the works for ages – first attempts at working with the technique began in the late 1980s. So, how come this seemingly magical therapy hasn’t become a widespread phenomenon? While some may attribute it to the high costs of receiving the therapy, most concerns lie within the ethics of gene-editing.
Gene-editing involves the in-vitro process of editing a patient’s cells outside of their body before re-introducing the edited cells. This commonly causes a lot of discomfort towards the patient because of the high-level of intensity the treatment requires. Those that believe the treatment is unethical look largely to the concept of designer babies. In the setting of the 21st century, many have begun seeking out gene-editing treatment for cosmetic changes.
Many debates have occurred over the ethics involving editing embryos. Those that argue against gene-editing claim that genetically modifying a child that cannot consent to the changes they are undergoing is unethical, as they lack bodily autonomy. Others make the argument that embryos aren’t technically considered living, meaning that their autonomy is not within concern.
Another factor to consider is cost. Gene-editing is currently only open to the wealthy, as treatment itself is extremely pricey. This causes unequal access to the treatment. Furthermore, the line of ethics is extremely blurred when considering cosmetic modifications. Is it really ethical, or necessary at that, to change your child’s eye color from brown to blue? What about changing their hair color? Those against gene-editing mainly argue that these changes are not necessary, and the potential to do harm is more concerning than gene-editing’s potential to do good. So, what do you think? Is gene-editing worth a shot?
References:
Stein, Rob. “Ethical Concerns Temper Optimism about Gene-Editing for Human Diseases.” NPR, NPR, 8 Mar. 2023, www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2023/03/08/1161868040/gene-editing-ethical-concerns-temp er-optimism-human-diseases-embryos#:~:text=%22They%20include%3A%20Concerns%20abo ut%20the,unfair%20access%20to%20the%20technology.
Written by Ivory Chen from MEDILOQUY