Question

The Human Genome Project (HGP) is an international scientific research project with the goal of determining the sequence of nucleotide base pairs which make up human DNA, and of identifying and mapping all of the genes of the human genome from both a physical and a functional standpoint. Some people advocate the use of this knowledge to ultimately develop gene therapy. The goal of gene therapy would be to find alleles that are “faulty” and to correct them with normal alleles. Ideally, to “fix” every cell in an individual, this process would need to occur in embryos. Presume a couple found out their embryo has a gene mutation that has a high success rate of causing cancer later on in the baby’s life. Would you advocate the use of gene therapy in the embryo to correct the problem before the child was ever born? What if the embryo did not appear likely to develop a genetic disease, but the parents decided that they would really prefer that their child have blue eyes as opposed to brown? Would you advocate the use of gene therapy in this case? Should the use of this therapy be limited? Who should decide those limits?

Answer 1

Gene therapy may be employed in the first case where the fetal therapy is used to correct the possible chances of a dreadful disease which will prove the quality of life of the child in the future.

Whereas in the second gene therapy should not be carried out to change a trait that is already normal.Since the eye color trait does not present with deleterious effect to child the use of this therapy for such purposes should not be encouraged.

The use of gene therapy should be limited and only be used to treat diseases and disorders ,for genuine causes

The limits has to put down by the centralized authority of health in the country along with educating and highlighting the importance and ethical and legal sides to couples approaching for a fetal gene therapy.