PHILOS 3C03 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis, Gene Therapy, Designer Baby
15 May 2018
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Friday, January 12, 2018
3C03 Advanced Bioethics
Lecture 1!
-Pigs used for engineering due to genetic similarity to humans !
-Genetic enhancement!
ā¢The transfer of genetic material intended to modify non-pathological human traits!
ā¢Made possible after the completion of the human genome, !
-expectation was to discover ways of removing genetic material coding for
certain diseases, but turns out there are only a few diseases caused by one
faulty gene!
-Pre-implantation genetic diagnosis !
-Allows doctors and scientists to screen potential IVF embryos !
-Controversial: provides the means to modify human embryos for non-medical
purposes!
-The goal goes beyond making people well, instead optimizing attributes or
capabilities (e.g. improve individual performance from standard to peak levels)!
-Accomplished through gene insertion to either may supplement the functioning
of normal genes or replace normal genes with genes that have been engineered
to produce a desired enhancement !
ā¢Two types of modiļ¬cation!
-Human Growth Hormone!
ā¢Originally administered to to children with growth hormone deļ¬ciency, but
eventually prescribed to non-deļ¬cients who were below normal height!
ā¢Foot reļ¬exology (Chinese medicine)!
ā¢Desire for height!
-Designer baby!
ā¢Enhance muscles, memories, moods, choose the sex, height and other genetic
traits of our children !
-Modiļ¬cations are then inheritable by the childās future oļ¬-spring!
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