By: Mitchell Doss. near immortality. On the other side are those that claim the future looks bleak. They see a future of

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1 The Potential of a Near Perfect World at Hand: The Potential of Cloning and Genetic Engineering By: Mitchell Doss Abstract: Cloning has become an important issue and will only grow in its importance. Genetic engineering is another biological science that has even more potential than cloning alone, and can be used to far greater lengths. Gene therapy is one aspect that is already under clinical studies and trials as potential treatment for genetic disorders. The technologies involved in these sciences are a long way from perfect, but as time goes on more knowledge will be gained and scientists will find more efficient methods to achieve the goals they have set. It is hard to know what the future will look like once these modern marvels have become more prolific. Many questions will be raised and many decisions will have to be made. There seems to be a lot of argument nowadays over the outlook of the future, especially concerning medical technologies. Two technologies at the forefront of this debate are cloning and genetic engineering. There are some that claim the future is bright. With all of the new medical technologies, there will come a time when few diseases and adverse health conditions are even a concern. People will be living longer, healthier, better lives due to the elimination of many diseases and human imperfections. There may even be a time when humans can come close to achieving near immortality. On the other side are those that claim the future looks bleak. They see a future of clones or, theoretically even better, genetically engineered super humans running the world, new types of discrimination, and the battle over the moral and ethical questions of humans closing in on their quest of playing God. What brings these thoughts into being? What exactly is cloning and genetic engineering? What are the implications surrounding these new technologies? I am going to try to shine some light on these emerging technologies, as well as a look into what I perceive to be the future with these medical feats taking front and center stage. Cloning is a term used by scientists to describe different processes for duplicating biological material (CS1). There are different types of cloning, although the most commonly

2 referred to type is reproductive cloning. Reproductive cloning is a technology used to generate an animal that has the same nuclear DNA as another currently or previously existing animal. In a process called somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT), scientists transfer genetic material from the nucleus of a donor adult cell to an egg whose nucleus, and thus its genetic material, has been removed (CS1). Once this genetic material has been inserted into the egg, cell division is started by either chemicals or an electric current. Once this cloned embryo develops to a certain point, it is then transferred to the uterus of a female host where it will continue to grow and develop until time of delivery (CS1). The other two types of cloning are therapeutic cloning and recombinant DNA technology (CS1). Therapeutic cloning, also called embryo cloning, is the production of human embryos for use in research. The goal of this process is not to create cloned human beings, but rather to harvest stem cells that can be used to study human development and to treat disease (CS1). Stem cells are important cells for researchers because they are cells that have the potential to develop into just about any type of specialized cell in the body. If researchers can harvest these stem cells, then hopefully they ll be able to use them as replacements for defective cells in the body. For example, when a person has a heart attack, the heart is permanently damaged. A heart attack is the result of a blockage in any of the arteries feeding the heart. Without proper oxygen and nutrients, these cells in the cardiac muscle which forms the heart die. These cells that die do not regenerate. In theory, stem cells could be developed into cardiac muscle cells and placed in the part of the heart where the heart attack occurred, and hopefully they would begin to grow and divide and restore function to the dead spots in the heart. The terms Recombinant DNA technology, DNA cloning, molecular cloning, or gene cloning all refer to the same process: the transfer of a DNA fragment of interest from one organism

3 to a self-replicating genetic element such as a bacterial plasmid. The DNA of interest can be then be propagated in a foreign host cell (CS1). This gives scientists the ability to generate any specific gene, or protein. Genes, which are carried on chromosomes, are the basic physical and functional units of heredity. Genes are specific sequences of bases that encode instructions on how to make proteins. Although genes get a lot of attention, it s the proteins that perform most life functions and even make up the majority of cellular structures. When genes are altered so that the encoded proteins are unable to carry out their normal functions, genetic disorders can result (GS1). The ability to work with specific genes gives scientists the ability to be able to change parts, without having to necessarily change the whole. This leads us to gene therapy. Gene therapy is a technique for correcting defective genes responsible for disease development. In most gene therapy studies, a normal gene is inserted into the genome to replace an abnormal, disease causing gene. A carrier molecule called a vector must be used to deliver the therapeutic gene to the patients target cells. (GS1). There are different vectors that can be used, but the most common is a virus. The virus is genetically altered to carry normal human DNA (GS1). Once the genetic material of the virus has been altered, the target cells of the patient are infected with this virus. The virus then unloads this genetic material, which contains the therapeutic human gene, into the target cell. Once this gene has been read, a functional protein will form, getting the cell back to its normal state (GS1). There are multiple viruses that can be used, depending on the need. Some types of viruses used are retroviruses, adenoviruses, adeno-associated viruses, and herpes simplex viruses (GS1). Viruses aren t the only way to deliver genetic material. Some other methods include: the direct introduction of therapeutic DNA into target cells..., the creation of an artificial lipid sphere with an aqueous core...which is capable of passing through the target cells membrane..., [and] the chemical linking of the DNA to a molecule that will bind to special cell

4 receptors (GS1). Although scientists currently have a lot of knowledge in this area, some factors have prevented gene therapy from becoming very effective as a treatment for genetic disease. The short lived nature of gene therapy is one problem. The DNA that is inserted needs to be long lived and to remain functional. Scientists are currently having a hard time getting the therapeutic DNA integrated into the genome of the cell. Since cells divide rapidly, it is hard for the therapy to work long term.. This means that patients must go through multiple rounds of therapy. The body s immune response is another problem. Any time a foreign body is introduced into the human body, the immune system is going to want to destroy it. Once it faces a foreign body, the immune system recognizes it and builds up immunity to it. If the immune system reacts to the gene therapy, then future rounds of the therapy becomes ever difficult. Yet another problem lies in multigene disorders. Many disorders are caused by the combined effects of variations in many genes. This makes treatment by gene therapy rather difficult (GS1). All of this is part of genetic engineering. Genetic engineering often involves the isolation, manipulation and reintroduction of DNA into cells or model organisms, usually to express a protein. The aim is to introduce new characteristics such as increasing the yield of a crop species, introducing a novel trait, or producing a new protein or enzyme. Examples include the production of human insulin through the use of modified bacteria...and the production of new types of experimental mice such as the OncoMouse (cancer mouse) for research, through genetic redesign (WIKI). Genetic engineering is already in use for many things, especially agriculturally. Scientists have modified some crops to be more drought resistant, more resistant to harsher climates, and to have built-in natural pesticides. The ability of scientists to be able to pick and choose the traits it wants in an organism is an amazing ability. Although a lot has already been done with these biological sciences, there is still far more that needs to be learned. There is more research to be

5 done and more things to discover. One key discovery that needs to be made is elucidating function of the extraordinarily complex web of interacting proteins, dubbed the proteome, that constitutes and powers all living things (WIKI). There will only be an increase in the knowledge we have in this field, and the number of things we will be able to accomplish through its applications will only grow. What does the future look like with these technologies at hand? Although these technologies may not be perfected yet, I believe that there is coming a time when they will be, if not perfected, then highly efficient. I believe human cloning will become a problem. Human beings are always looking to push the envelope as much as possible. We are always looking to exceed our limits and set new bounds for ourselves. There will come a time when a full human being is cloned, and it may not be all that far into the future. It s not going to be like we see in some movies, with people walking around side by side with their clone and no one being able to tell them apart. This doesn t make sense because the clone has to grow and develop just like the rest of us. Whoever is the DNA donor will not have to battle his clone to see who is the more dominant of the two. For this to happen the original and the clone would have to develop at the same time, and since the original has to donate DNA, this isn t feasible. Simply having the same identical genetic makeup will not necessarily make the clone identical to its donor. The environment under which the clone is brought up in will make a difference on its being and its characteristics. This fact doesn t make cloning any less significant. The simple fact that DNA is being copied from one human to another brings up many problems, at least in my mind. Discrimination is one problem that comes to mind, and not just discrimination of the clone itself. I m also looking at the discrimination of who gets cloned. Who gets the final say on who can get cloned? Are the poor or the less fortunate going to be able to be a donor for a clone? I believe

6 that the under classed and the underprivileged will not easily come to be clone donors. People born with genetic defects will be discriminated against when it comes to being DNA donors. Why would we let someone with a known genetic defect be cloned, knowing all too well that that very same defect will be present in the clone? We wouldn t. Would hardcore and repeat criminals be allowed to be donors? Many would say no, because they wouldn t like the idea of bringing into existence more criminals. But, who s to say what makes a criminal? Criminals make their own choices, but is it genetic? Is it the environment they were raised in? Would a cloned criminal necessarily fall into the same lawbreaking footsteps of it s donor. I believe not. If so, why not let criminals be DNA donors. Maybe this would be, in a strange way, their second chance at life. The clone of a criminal may not fall into its donor s footsteps. It may make better choices in life. If so, with the criminal donor and the clone having the same genetic makeup, this could be to the criminal like living a second life and making better choices. The question here is what defines a person. If DNA defines who a person is, then although the clone is its own independent being, making its own decisions on life, it is still, in essence, the criminal who sits behind bars. Looking at it in this view, the criminal would now have two selves, with the hope that his clone, his other self, would prove to be everything that he, the criminal, couldn t. If DNA is not what defines a person, then a clone would be nothing more than just another person, no different than any of the rest of us, with the exception of the method with which he was brought into existence. The clones themselves may also be discriminated against. Will we have to come up with laws giving the clones certain rights to keep them equal with the normals, or will that already be understood? If a clone was born with some serious defect as a result of some oddity in the cloning process, would that clone be terminated early in its life or would it be allowed to live out its life, even though it will be far from normal? Will people have the same attachment to their clones as

7 they would to, say, their children? Will identity theft and identity problems be more rampant with many clones running around? Stretching this even farther, and this is admittedly stretching it, would it ever be possible for a whole multitude of clones to be developed, raised, and trained militarily, with their sole life s purpose being to fight in wars? This would prevent the un-cloned, with families and other emotional attachments, from having to go to war. I don t believe that will ever happen, but it very well could. In my own view, I think that all the world s governments should agree on a common ban of human cloning. I see few benefits from the aspect of cloning humans, whereas there are several problems that could arise. The other various aspects of cloning should be continued, but only under strict government supervision. I find the potential of genetic engineering to be far more useful with far more benefits than full human cloning ever would. I also believe that it has the potential to cause more problems. Genetic engineering is currently being used for many things, and it is only going to grow in its size and usefulness. One of the key uses for genetic engineering currently going is in agriculture. Many crops have already been engineered to be able to grow in harsher conditions, to be naturally pest resistant, and to have more nutritional value. One hope for this is to be able to grow crops in harsh climates in many of the third world countries that really need the food. Not only would the crops be able to grow in these climates, but they would also have some added nutrients that would further help the population. Golden rice is an example. Golden rice is genetically engineered rice that contains elevated vitamin A levels. There is hope that this rice may alleviate vitamin A deficiency that contributes to the death of millions and permanent blindness of 500,000 annually (WIKI). More than just helping third world countries, these more resilient crops would also help farmers in the advanced economies. Crops would be bigger and better with fewer losses. By using crops with their own genetically modified natural pesticide, farmers can lower expenses as well by not having

8 to put out more money on pesticides. This lower cost and increased yield combines to raise the efficiency for these farmers. By using fewer pesticides, the environment is being benefitted as well. Also in the area of agriculture is modified animals. Since muscle makes up most of the meat we get from animals, then genetically modified animals with more muscle mass provides more food per animal. Other modifications could be harder shells on the eggs laid by chickens, more nutritional value in the milk produced by cows, and perhaps even faster maturity in livestock leading to more rounds of reproduction and therefore a greater percentage increase in the number of livestock available. Although the agricultural benefits could be great, I think that the genetic modifications pertaining to humans is a much bigger issue. Gene therapy has great potential. It is currently very inefficient, but with more research and more experiments there will come a time when many diseases will be able to be treated genetically. We ll have the knowledge of the function of all the genes and the proteins they encode for. We ll know what the effects of specific mutations to these genes are, and we ll know what needs to be done to fix these. We ll have more efficient ways to deliver the genes to the source where they need to be placed. Eventually I believe this technology will become cheaper and more accessible, although I don t see a time will it will be available to the masses, because I don t believe it will ever get that cheap. This seems good, but this is dealing with the diseases in living, growing individuals who are already having to deal with them. I just don t see how the technology will stop here. I think there will come a time when this will be taken a step farther, and the genes of an individual will be altered or modified before that person is ever even born. I believe, if we don t take care, that we could be headed for pre-modified humans. This technology is currently not available, and it won t be available for a good long time. But, one day, I believe it will happen. We will be able to eliminate diseases by tweaking the genes

9 of a person before they are born. With this being done, nobody would be born with health defects. Nobody would have to go through life with the disadvantage of being handicapped from birth. Nobody would have to go through life with the disadvantage of being born with bad genes; genes that put them at a disadvantage to the rest of the population, at least concerning health. But, as with most things, I do not believe this will be the stopping point. Once we have learned how to tweak the genes so that there are no genetic disorders in people and everyone is born into the same health level, then we will start to look at bettering some other traits, not necessarily health related. It is a disadvantage for some to have to wear glasses, so we would replace the gene that causes some to have to wear glasses with a healthy eye gene. And, well, it s not fair for some people to go bald earlier than others. It s not fair that we even have to go bald at all. We will eventually take the hair gene, and it will be modified so as to eliminate baldness. It also isn t fair that some people are born smarter than others. After a lot of research we ll find out which genes control intelligence and the proteins that interact to bring this about, and eventually people will start being born on the same intelligence level, the highest level possible. At least, that s if you can afford it. Perhaps you could only afford level two intelligence. The pricing and availability of this will also be a problem. Since some people are more naturally athletic than others, and that doesn t seem fair, we ll eventually learn to tweak the genes pertaining to athletic ability. We would all have the ability to build higher amounts of muscle mass. Our bodies might produce higher levels of red blood cells so as to carry more oxygen and help us all to breath better. It could eventually get to the point where people are tweaked so as to be able to perform a function assigned by their parents, or creator. If parents wanted their child to be a piano player, they could make sure their child was modified so as to be intelligent, with good motor coordination and big hands. Parents wanting their child to be a basketball player could have that child designed to be tall and athletic. Perhaps if the parents

10 wanted their child to be a plumber, they could have him designed to be smaller than average so it would be easier for him to be able to fit into tighter places to do his work. This is all admittedly a little farfetched, but I do not believe it is out of the realm of possibility. I believe that there will come a time when we will know enough about genes and proteins, their placement, function, and interaction, and be so efficient at working with them, that we will be able to do just about anything in the realm of genetics. Needless to say, if this goes to the extent which I described, this would be a problem. Once again, discrimination would play a large factor. Who would be able to, say, have their child designed with the best traits, and who wouldn t? Would the rich be at an advantage, as they are often times? Would those un-modified people become discriminated against, as they would be put at a disadvantage to those whose genes have them being better? I will admit that genes aren t everything, and that there is something to say for the environment people are raised in and the choices they make throughout life. But, having the proper genetic makeup will always be an advantage, and ultimately I think we ll have to decide: where are we going to draw the line? I do not believe we should ever let it get close to the scenario I laid out. I believe the modifications with humans should be limited to those who are already born and living, and they should only deal with health issues. Any change should be confined to the person who is changed, and should not be passed on to future generations. Measures should be taken by the governments of the world to ensure that there are some regulations, some confinements, placed on the technology that will one day develop. I do not believe that there is any denying the fact that the technologies we have could benefit us greatly. With cloned organs for better transplants, better crops and livestock providing the world with a better food supply, and answers for many health problems facing the world, cloning and genetic engineering has its place in the world. As more and more research is done, and

11 more is learned about these sciences, the technologies will grow, become more efficient, and decisions will have to be made. How far will we let this go? The answer will not be clear cut. It will not be easily made, and it will not be easily enforced, but that shouldn t stop us from making it. Personal beliefs, coupled with knowledge of the subject, will lead us to an answer. Will it be the right one? I hope so.

12 WOKS CITED (CS1) (GS1) (WIKI) RECOMMENDED READINGS All headings on All headings on Online article at: Ws?fulltext=true Wikipedia entry on cloning: Wikipedia entry on gene therapy: Wikipedia entry on genetic engineering: