GENETIC ENGINEERING/GENETIC ENGINEERING/GENETIC RECONSTRUCTION/GENETIC RECONSTRUCTION/GENE TIC INTERVENTION Dr. E. T. Acevedo References: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Robert ert M. Veatc eatch h - Medi edical Ethi thics Rona Ronald ld Muns Munson on - INTE INTERV RVEN ENTI TION ON & REFL REFLEC ECTI TION ON:: Basi Basic c Issues in Medical Ethics B.M. B.M. Ashl Ashley ey &K.D &K.D.. O’Ro O’Rour urke ke - ETHI ETHICS CS in Heal Health th Care Care Flor Floren enti tino no T. Timb Timbre reza za - Bioe Bioeth thic ics s & Mora Morall Deci Decisi sion ons s Michael A. Monge, M.D. - Ethical Practices Practices in HEALTH HEALTH & DISEASES INTRODUCTION
GENETIC ENGINEERING/GENETIC ENGINEERING/GENETIC RECONSTRUCTION: 1. Direct Direct interventio intervention n in the genetic genetic make-up make-up of a livi living ng bein being, g, the the repl repla aceme cement nt of gene genes s or the the addition of new genes to the genetic “code” or “blueprint” of an organism. (Varga: 82) 2.
Invo Involv lves es the the who whole le pro proce cess ss of of alte alteri ring ng gen genes es,, the the building blocks of life, in order to achieve a radi radica call lly, y, or a comp comple lete telly new new, huma human n bein being. g. (Overduinn & Fleming: 172-173)
3.
The effort to repair genetic defects at their genotypic source in the genes and chromosomes rather than in their phenotypic effects and, further, to control and produce at will new combinations of genetic traits in offspring. (Ashley/O’Rourke) (1)
GENETIC ENGINEERING includes: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 11. 12. 12. 13. 13. 14. 14.
Genetic testing Genetic screening Prenatal di diagnosis Genetic control In vitro fertilization Embryo transfer Cloning Sperm and zygote banking Sex selection Surrogacy Orga Or gani nic c Tr Tran ansp spla lant nt Contr ontrac acep epti tion on Amni Amnioc ocen ente tesi sis s Arti Artifi fici cial al inse insemi mina nati tion on
‘Genetic Engineering: Its morality and value to biotechnology: •
Sci Scienti entist sts s can can take take usefu sefull gene genes s from from plan plantt and anim animal al cell cells s and and tran transf sfer er them them to micro microor orga gani nism sms s such as yeast and bacteria that are easy to grow in large quantities. Products that once are available only in small amounts from an animal or plant are then avai availa labl ble e in larg large e quan quanti titi ties es from from rapi rapidl dly y grow growin ing g microbes. Ex. – the use of genetically engineered bacteria to produce human insulin for treating diabetes. (2)
•
Can be useful for animal and plant breeders. G.E. allo allows ws desi desira rabl ble e gene genes s from from one one plan plant, t, anim animal al,, or microorganism to be incorporated into an unrelated spec specie ies, s, thus thus,, avoi avoidi ding ng the the cons constr trai aint nts s of norm normal al cross breeding. A wider range of traits is available to the the bree breede ders rs and and thes these e trai traits ts can can be inco incorp rpor orat ated ed more more quic quickl kly y and and more more reli reliab ably ly into into targ target et spec specie ies s than possible with conventional methods.
Ethical consideration: Cloning, freezin zing of embryos, post mortem inse insemi mina nati tion on,, and and sper sperm m banki banking ng or cryo cryopr pres eser erva vati tion on constitute an offense against the respect due to human beings by manipulating them. them.
APPLICATION OF ETHICAL THEORIES: Pope John Paul II “a strictly therapeutic intervention whose explicit objective is the healing of various maladies such as those stemming from chromosomal defects will, in principle, be considered desirable, provided it is directed to the true promotion of the personal well-being of the individual without doing harm to his integrity or worsening his conditions of life. Such intervention would indeed fall within the logic of the Christian moral tradition.”
(3)
1.
Genetic testing Chromosomal manipulations or interventions are contrary to the personal dignity of the human being and his or her integrity and identity.
2.
Prenatal diagnosis It is done with the purpose of aborting the fetus if it is found to be deformed,
3.
Genetic screening It is to be condemned as a violation of the unborn child’s right to life.
4. 5. 6.
Genetic co control. In vitro fertilization Embryo transfer
7. 8. 9. 10.
Cloning Sperm & zygote banking Sex selection Surrogacy
Constitute an offense against the respect due to human beings by manipulating them.
11. 11. Or Orga gani nic c Tr Tran ansp spla lant nt
(4)
contrary to the unity of marriage and to the dignity of the procreation of the human person
MORAL PROBLEMS AND QUESTIONS 1.
2.
3.
With With Raw Rawl’ l’s s con conce cept pt of of just justic ice e as “fai “fairn rnes ess” s”,, or “giving one one’s due”, should we regard sex exchange operations on transsexuals a way of granting what is due to them therapeutically? “What is due” to a transsexual is recognizing his/her true feelings, e.g., a male with the feelings of a female, and vice versa; hence, it seems a sex change would do justice to him or her. Discuss the moral issue of this matter. Suppose you are born without a uterus, a natural defect – i.e., something “unnatural” for a human being; you cannot carry a child, which is again “unnatural” for a woman. Your ovaries, however, are functional –i.e., you produce eggs. Mode Modern rn medi medica call scie scienc nce e has has a tech techno nolo logi gica call solution to your “natural defect” or incapacity to carry a child, namely: surrogate motherhood. Would you or would you not undertak take the process? Justify your stand on this issue. Some moralists contend of tampering that medical interventions (e.g., AIH, AID, etc.) are ways of tampering with nature. Should we not rather view these means as “correcting” natural defe defect ct (e.g (e.g., ., obst obstru ruct ctio ion n in the the fall fallopi opian an tube tube and other forms of infertility) which is “unnatural” so as to make it “natural”? Should it not not be our our mor moral obli obliga gati tion on to cor orre rect ct the the “unnatural” in compliance with the dictates of natural moral law? (5)
