The moral and ethical issues associated with recombinant DNA technology.

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The moral and ethical issues associated with recombinant DNA technology

Advantages of recombinant DNA technology:

Gene therapy: Can be used to cure genetic diseases an example of a proven case would be the bubble boy disease commonly known as ADA. (The body has no immunity, and the baby has to be put in a bubble to stop germs infecting) This disease inherited from the parents is caused by the missing or damaged enzyme adenosine deaminase, normally treated with injections of the enzyme. ”As the injections don’t completely restore the immune system.  This was the first use of gene therapy in the USA, a copy of the normal genes for ADA enzymes were inserted into an inactive virus that was put in to the patients’ immune system (Tcells)

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These grew in a colony then they were put in to the patient like an ordinary blood transfusion”(4) and the girl lived, as this was a successful cure.

Not many people will argue to curing genetically prone people, but it could get out of hand “in theory any desired gene could be instead into an human egg”(1) so how far do we go is the question, can we choose what are babes should look like? Are just some of the questions that are asked.  

Using technology like this has already help cure diseases like cystic fibrosis ...

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