BIOTECHNOLOG Y Medicine

BIOTECHNOLOG Y Medicine

HOW CAN WE USE GENETICALLY ENGINEERING TO HELP US? By inserting a gene for human insulin into an E.Coli bacterium, the E. coli will make lots of insulin, which scientists and doctors can collect and use. Right now, doctors are using pig hearts for transplants but there are still rejection problems. One day soon, scientists will be able to genetically engineer pigs to grow human organs for use in transplants.

WHAT IS GENE THERAPY? 1. 2. 3. In people with cystic fibrosis, one of the genes is faulty and cannot do its job properly. To fix the problem, a copy of the same gene from a healthy person is spliced into a virus. The patient’s lungs are infected with the virus. It delivers the working gene into the patient’s cells. The cells can then make the right protein, and the patient can breathe normally. Patient’s cell Patient’s DNA Faulty Gene Virus DNA New working gene Patient’s DNA Virus DNA with new gene

In Minnesota last year researchers at the Mayo Clinic created pigs with human blood flowing through their bodies. And at Stanford University in California an experiment might be done later this year to create mice with human brains. Scientists feel that, the more humanlike the animal, the better research model it makes for testing drugs or possibly growing "spare parts," such as livers, to transplant into humans.

THE FUTURE: OTHER MEDICAL RESEARCH, LEADING TO Plant-made Pharmaceutic als – growing medicines in plants Edible vaccines

CLONIN G

Now cats may have more than nine lives. The company that funded the first successful cloning of a domestic cat two years ago has gone commercial. The cost? U.S. 50,000 each.

CLONING A HUMAN? UK scientists clone human embryo British scientists say they have cloned the country's first human embryo. The Newcastle University team took eggs from 11 women, removed the genetic material and replaced it with DNA from embryonic stem cells. The aim of this kind of work - the subject of fierce debate is to make cloned embryos from which stem cells can be used to treat diseases. Could mean treatments for diseases like diabetes without problems of rejection. Therapeutic cloning - believed to have huge potential to treat disease and disability - is allowed in Britain. Reproductive cloning - the cloning of human embryos with the intention of creating a baby - was made illegal in 2001.

Jane is blind and has a guide dog called Bobby. Bobby has been her guide dog for 10 years but is getting old. Bobby is Jayne’s best friend and she feels that without him she couldn’t live. Should Jayne be allowed to clone Bobby before he dies? Should people be allowed to clone their pets? There is only one Giant Panda left on earth. It does not have a partner to breed with so once it dies the species will be extinct. Should scientists be allowed to clone another Giant Panda to keep the species alive? Should scientists be allowed to clone endangered species? Scientists believe that stem cells found in human embryos could be used to cure a range of diseases. Should scientists be allowed to clone human embryos to create stems cells for medical purposes?

A developing country with food shortages want to clone their best food producing animals, cows, chickens, pigs etc. to try and produce more food per animal to solve their food shortages. Should countries be allowed to clone animals to increase food production.

WHAT IS STEM CELL RESEARCH? Stem cells offer the potential for developme nt of new therapies for a wide range of diseases and injuries

RIGHT OR WRONG? Arguments for creating designer babies Some couples are not able to have children because their children will have a genetic disease and die before they are born or when they are very young. Techniques used to change the genetic makeup of the embryo allow these parents to have a child. If we want the best for our children why shouldn't we design our own babies? Using genetic techniques we can help prevent certain genetic diseases. This both saves the children from suffering and reduces the cost and emotional strain of looking after an ill child. Will this lead to happier children and parents? Spare part children? In a few cases where parents have had one child with a serious blood disease, they have used IVF to select embryos so that they can have a second child that can act as a future, tailor-made blood or bone marrow donor. In these cases when the child is born he or she will be healthy and can help their older brother or sister stay well.

Arguments against creating designer babies But is this right? In these cases, parents and doctors are creating a child to act as an organ-donating factory. How will the child feel? These genetic techniques are very expensive. Why should only rich people be able to eradicate genetic diseases? This could lead to imbalances between rich and poor people. Will we breed a race of super-humans who look down on those without genetic enhancements? Even today people who are born with disabilities face intolerance. Will discrimination against people already born with disabilities increase? We could get carried away 'correcting' perfectly healthy babies. Once we start to eliminate embryos because they have the gene for a disease, what is to stop us from picking babies for their physical or psychological traits? At the moment we can screen human embryos to choose only those embryos without the 'bad' genes. But is it right to add new artificial genes, or take away other genes? These genetic changes will be permanent and be contained in every single cell of the baby. Alterations made by genetic engineering would be passed on from one generation to the next. What right have parents to choose what genetic characteristics are best for their children, and their children's children. Will the children react against the genetic changes that their parents have chosen for them? Who is responsible for genetic modification of a child? The parents? The doctors? Or the Government?