The Briefing Room

General Category => Science, Technology and Knowledge => Topic started by: rangerrebew on August 06, 2017, 02:03:41 pm

Title: Too far? Scientists adjust DNA in unborn baby
Post by: rangerrebew on August 06, 2017, 02:03:41 pm
Too far? Scientists adjust DNA in unborn baby

August 2, 2017
 

Altering human heredity? In a first, researchers safely repaired a disease-causing gene in human embryos, targeting a heart defect best known for killing young athletes – a big step toward one day preventing a list of inherited diseases.

In a surprising discovery, a research team led by Oregon Health and & Science University reported Wednesday that embryos can help fix themselves if scientists jump-start the process early enough.

It’s laboratory research only, nowhere near ready to be tried in a pregnancy. But it suggests that scientists might alter DNA in a way that protects not just one baby from a disease that runs in the family, but his or her offspring as well. And that raises ethical questions.

https://thehornnews.com/far-scientists-adjust-dna-unborn-baby/
Title: Re: Too far? Scientists adjust DNA in unborn baby
Post by: Free Vulcan on August 06, 2017, 04:45:47 pm
Aldous says 'my book was fiction, not a manual!'
Title: Re: Too far? Scientists adjust DNA in unborn baby
Post by: EC on August 06, 2017, 05:23:54 pm
See no ethical problem at all with repairing genes in a foetus. The genes are already there - either from the mother or father - so making them work by sticking in a good copy from one of the parents (or forcing the good copy of the pair to be expressed) is preventative medicine as far as I'm concerned.

Where ethics rears it's head is if you are swapping out genes - putting into the child genes that neither parent has. That is no longer medicine.
Title: Re: Too far? Scientists adjust DNA in unborn baby
Post by: kevindavis007 on August 06, 2017, 05:24:56 pm
It could be useful for colonizing other planets that is close but no cigar..  Just modify the human DNA so the human race can continue..
Title: Re: Too far? Scientists adjust DNA in unborn baby
Post by: Wingnut on August 06, 2017, 06:17:17 pm
It could be useful for colonizing other planets that is close but no cigar..  Just modify the human DNA so the human race can continue..

Why?  Everything dies.  The human race is just another pimple of the ass of the cosmos.
Title: Re: Too far? Scientists adjust DNA in unborn baby
Post by: kevindavis007 on August 06, 2017, 06:33:07 pm
Why?  Everything dies.  The human race is just another pimple of the ass of the cosmos.


I don't think so..
Title: Re: Too far? Scientists adjust DNA in unborn baby
Post by: kevindavis007 on August 06, 2017, 06:33:58 pm
Useful for Space Colonization...



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Title: Re: Too far? Scientists adjust DNA in unborn baby
Post by: Cripplecreek on August 06, 2017, 07:18:02 pm
Useful for Space Colonization...

Yup. Nothing wrong with altering human DNA to be better able to cope with denser atmosphere, higher radiation exposure, or lower gravity etc.
Title: Re: Too far? Scientists adjust DNA in unborn baby
Post by: bigheadfred on August 06, 2017, 07:32:50 pm
See no ethical problem at all with repairing genes in a foetus. The genes are already there - either from the mother or father - so making them work by sticking in a good copy from one of the parents (or forcing the good copy of the pair to be expressed) is preventative medicine as far as I'm concerned.

Where ethics rears it's head is if you are swapping out genes - putting into the child genes that neither parent has. That is no longer medicine.

I agree.
Title: Re: Too far? Scientists adjust DNA in unborn baby
Post by: Weird Tolkienish Figure on August 06, 2017, 09:13:08 pm
Wonder how this works? They alter one cell or what?
Title: Re: Too far? Scientists adjust DNA in unborn baby
Post by: kevindavis007 on August 06, 2017, 09:17:16 pm
Yup. Nothing wrong with altering human DNA to be better able to cope with denser atmosphere, higher radiation exposure, or lower gravity etc.


Or a planet that is completely water.