RJA 11

What is the current impact of genetic discovery, and where could it lead us?

1)     Research has already provided us ways to diagnose and potentially treat many diseases, such as certain forms of childhood leukemia, X-linked severe combined immunodeficiency disease (X-SCID), and many others (http://www.ornl.gov/sci/techresources/Human_Genome/medicine/genetherapy.shtml)

a.      Overpopulation and rapid resource usage are running rampant; helping people live longer is making it more difficult for everyone to live a good life

b.     Playing with the building blocks of what makes us, “us,” is bound to have consequences – not letting life run its course the way it was intended could create a problem on some yet-unknown scale

2)     There is the potential of organ replication using only a small sample of cells; imagine being able to have a spare heart in case yours stops.  In addition, genes are common among all organisms, and unlocking them could give us the answers to questions like, "how are trees able to process carbon monoxide and turn it into oxygen?" -- answers that could help provide solutions for other issues such as sustainable energy

a.      At what point is an ethical boundary crossed?  If someone has a heart condition from birth, it’s possible that a healthy heart could be grown for them from their own cells.  On the other hand, a 2-pack-a-day smoker could have a healthy heart grown too.  Does money make a difference, i.e. would the smoker get ahead in line because he or she was wealthier and could afford better insurance?  Would insurance costs skyrocket?  At what point would accountability be put on the patients?

b.     While the idea of genetics influencing the growth of sustainable energy isn’t terribly far-fetched, the question remains:  how can this knowledge get utilized?  Learning how a tree can recycle carbon-dioxide into oxygen is fantastic, but how does that help us replicate the process when clear-cutting is so prominent throughout the world?

3)     People are constantly hungry for knowledge, and this is one of the few areas outside of deep space and deep marine which are still open for exploration.  The cartographers of today are genetic scientists, mapping out the millions of routes and channels that make "us."

a.      This research goes into previously uncharted territory.  The questions being asked and the potential answers that lie over the horizon are not something we’re prepared for.  All outcomes cannot be planned, and as with the Internet, governing for all new technologies is a trial-and-error process; one that cannot be afforded given the value of the information at hand.

b.     The inevitable question of stem-cells will divide people – these are the “holy grail” of genetic research: a cell that can turn into anything it’s put next to.  Imagine a cell that could replicate a cancerous cell, so we could study cancer in a way that’s never been done; a cell that, put next to a severed spinal cord, could regenerate it; a cell that could re-create neurons so even those in the most aggressive states of catatonia could be revived.  Unfortunately, the only known sources of stem-cells are unborn fetuses.  The debate of when a fetus is actually considered a living being rages on, with many staunch supporters on one side or the other, and a few riding the fence.