By: Ozren Podnar |
Sickening: Science created genetically modified babies |
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Do you want a healthy, beautiful and smart child? No problem, say the scientists.
With the help of genetic engineering we will create a baby for you according to your specifications!
Science began experiments with genetic engineering on babies 10 years ago, but these attempts have attracted media attention only now.
GMO babies were created using the genes of two women and one man in a process called egg cell transplantation.
It is not known what might be the consequences of genetic engineering on the child and the offspring of that child.
In the opinion of Dr. Joseph Mercola, the renowned American alternative doctor, the consequences are likely to be unexpected, extensive and unpleasant.
This was pointed out by later research on genetically engineered children.
According to one study, two of the seventeen children conceived in this manner had an abnormal karyotype 45, XO.
The researchers assume that there is a relationship between the chromosomal abnormalities and the manipulation of egg cells.
Also, they stated that one of those children was diagnosed with pervasive developmental disorder when it was 18 months old, which falls into the spectrum of autistic disorders.
Genetic engineering brings surprises
Researches on plants have shown that interventions into natural genes often cause changes in the whole organism.
For example, implanting modified genes in plants leads to the creation of new proteins in the respective plants - proteins that have never existed before!
That can hurt the plant itself, and the person who eats it, since by eating that plant we ingest substances that have never existed in the food chain prior to that.
The rise of genetically modified foods is a probable cause of increased rates of food allergies, cancer, infertility, obesity and gastrointestinal disorders in the last two decades.
We cannot even imagine what disorders in the human organism are possible to occur due to gene modifications.
Despite the risks and the absence of a public debate, geneticists continue to work and bring us closer to mass creation of designed children, children created according to their parents’ wishes.
Genetic engineering of humans in the terms of the availability of technology lags a few years behind the genetic engineering of plants.
Unfortunately, the health consequences of such technology are even less known than is the case with the consequences of gene modification in plants.
Centers for designing children
There is already a technology, which allows us, on basis of genetic samples, to predict the height, weight, hair and eye color and even personality traits of the child.
One U.S. company filed for a patent for a genetic testing database, which could help parents find out in advance the characteristics that their children could inherit, which they later change with the help of genetic engineering.
But many people are concerned that these options could be abused, and critics consider them to be ethically and socially questionable.
"It would be highly irresponsible for any company to offer products and services based on this patent," believes Marcy Darnovsky, executive director of Genetics and Society center.
"We believe that the office would made a significant error if it were to grant a patent that would allow parents to choose their children's characteristics as if they were reading a menu at the restaurant."
Exclusive use of genes
Another source of concern is the ambition of corporations to make it possible for them to patent genetic solution for humans.
If there are already patents for genetic adaptations in plants - for example, for genetically improved seeds, what could prevent the tycoons to do the same with human genes?
Guided by these concerns, the American Civil Liberties Union asked the court to ban the Office of Intellectual Property from patenting genetic modification, because they do not fall under the definition of invention.
For example, Myriad Genetics biotech company from Utah managed to obtain patents for the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes associated with breast cancer and ovarian cancer.
According to this patent, Myriad gained the exclusive right to test, study and modify these important genes.
Fortunately, last June the U.S. Supreme Court invalidated these patents, claiming it was not in the public interest that only one company should have exclusive rights to use and study certain genes.
Genes don't equal destiny
Another debatable detail related to genetic engineering is convincing people that health is entirely determined by genes.
Health is not exclusively determined by genes. It is largely determined by external circumstances and people's own actions – what they eat and what lifestyle they lead.
Simply put, if you have a cancer gene it does not necessarily mean that you will develop cancer during life due to that gene.
On the other hand, healthy genes do not guarantee that you will never develop cancer, because unhealthy life and adverse environmental impacts can create favorable conditions for the development of the disease.
Gene industry hides the real truth
Having an "improved gene" does not necessarily protect against disease and injury. You still need to invest a lot of effort to achieve and maintain good health.
And that is something biotech companies will not tell the public, because it would be a bad publicity for their own services of gene improvement.
In order to attract the maximum number of customers - parents who want to genetically design their children - these companies will keep people in the belief that the genetic engineering is the ultimate solution for perfect health.
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