Genetic engineering is the ability to alter the genome of an organism. There are 2 main forms, somatic and germline.
Somatic - post natal
Somatic genetic engineering involves adding genes to cells other than egg or sperm cells. For example, if a person had a disease caused by a defective gene, a healthy gene could be added to the affected cells to treat the disorder. This is known as gene therapy. Note that somatic alterations are non-inheritable, e.g. the new gene would not be passed to the recipient’s children.
There are two common techniques used:
1. Viruses
These are a good means of injecting a DNA payload into human cells and reproducing it. By adding the desired DNA to the DNA of non-pathogenic virus, a small amount of virus will reproduce the desired DNA and spread it all over the body.
2. Additional DNA
Manufacture large quantities of DNA, and somehow package it to induce the target cells to accept it, either as an addition to one of the original 23 chromosomes, or as an independent 24th human artificial chromosome.
Germline - prenatal
Germline engineering involves changing genes in eggs, sperm, or very early embryos. This type of engineering is inheritable, meaning that the modified genes would appear not only in any children that resulted from the procedure, but in all succeeding generations. Germline engineering has always been controversial because of the potential to create better athletes or smarter people.
History
The first gene therapy trials on humans began in 1990 on patients with Severe Combined Immunodeficiency (SCID). In 2000, the first gene therapy "success" resulted in SCID patients with a functional immune system. By 2007, four of the ten patients had developed leukemia. It took sometime before gene therapy could be used without triggering an oncogene.
By the mid 21st century the techniques had been well worked out a number of diseases were treatable by Genetic Engineering and scientist started to experiment with 'enhancements' rather than treating disease.
There are two types of human genetic engineering, positive and negative. The former enhances humans and the latter removes genetic disorders.
Ethics
The genetic engineering of humans has raised many controversial ethical issues. While negative genetic engineering (gene therapy) does indeed raise a debate, the use of genetic engineering for human enhancement arouses the strongest feelings on both sides.
Genetic engineering is tested on animals, often including primates. Some animal rights activists find this inhumane.
Genetic modification of embryos can pose an ethical question about the rights of the baby. One belief is that every fetus should be free to not be genetically modified. Others believe that parents hold the rights to change their unborn children. Still some believe that every child should have the right to be born free from preventable diseases.
Molecular Biologist Lee Silver believes that unlike Aldous Huxley’s A Brave New World, where a totalitarian government controls all of the genetic enhancements in society, the use of gene therapy to design children will be spread through what he calls “free market eugenics”. Wealthy families will opt to design their child with genetic advantages because other families are doing so, and everybody wants to provide their newborn child with the best opportunities in life.
The impact on society will be a new alignment of classes, no longer will we separate people by their ethnic differences, the new division will be between what Silver calls ‘the naturals’ and ‘the GenRich’, or genetically enhanced. The major worry here is that the ‘genetic gulf’ between these two classes will become so wide that humans will become separate species.
Genetic engineering in SciFi
Mobile Suit Gundam SEED (anime): Set in a world in which genetically modified humans, termed 'Coordinators', have been ostracized and isolated from unmodified humans, termed 'Naturals'. Due to extreme differences in mental and physical abilities between the two groups, racial, economic, and political issues have arisen, culminating in war. Gundam Seed addresses such concerns as animosity caused by the jealousy of Naturals over Coordinator abilities, both groups looking down on one another as being lesser life forms, and genocidal factions emerging on both sides.
Gattaca (film): Presents a biopunk vision of a society driven by new eugenics. Children of the middle and upper classes are selected through preimplantation genetic diagnosis to ensure they possess the best hereditary traits of their parents.
When the Wind Blows, The Lake House, the series Maximum Ride by James Patterson: Patterson writes about a world where children are experimented on to produce wings and other powers. He warns against playing God, and especially about treating test subjects inhumanely, as scientific property.
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley: Introduces a future dystopia where human beings are bred to live in a genetically determined caste system and where the weeding out of most emotions has left life meaningless and dull.
