Daily Lobo column
We live in exciting times for medical research. On Monday, details of the human genome — the DNA sequence that defines a human being — were released to the public. This information will help shed new light on thousands of studies into diseases, cancer, aging and many other health issues.
It also has many people paranoid. What will happen if insurance companies are able to get information on your DNA and discover that you have a 0.00031 percent chance of liver failure and deny you coverage as a result? What if companies demand DNA samples during the hiring process to check whether you have the “proper” genetic structure to work there?
Already bills are being prepared in Congress that will outlaw discrimination based on genes and prevent the wrong people from being seeing your genetic code.
Genetic code, many critics argue, is private information that should not be released. This is an issue that is new to our civilization — no ancient lawmaker could have foreseen the possibility of genetic testing. The decisions made today will have a profound influence on the future. Will we end up in a Gattaca-like world where a person’s genes are the only measure of worth? Or will we suppress the understanding of genetic technology to prevent its misuse?
No field is more explosive when it comes to this debate than human cloning.The technology to create clones has been in development for decades. Only recently, with the much-publicized cloning of Dolly the sheep, has thrust it to the forefront of our awareness. Suddenly, the ethical debates that previously only thrived among Star Trek fans erupted across the world. Is it right to create life? Is it right to copy an existing person? Will the clone have a soul?
Practical cloning on a massive scale is still a few years off. Numerous technological hurdles must be overcome first, not to mention the difficulty in finding egg donors and surrogate mothers to carry the clone fetuses. The vast majority of cloned animal embryos do not fully develop. Creating Dolly took 277 tries before it was successful. The procedures are being improved now, but it is still a difficult process.
On top of all the other difficulties, the age of the cells in question is very important. Recent studies have shown that cells age as well. Telomeres — a part of every DNA chain — shorten with each cell division. Eventually, this leads to problems with cell reproduction, causing the cells themselves to grow old. Certain “immortal” cells rejuvenate their telomeres, and aging researchers hope to provide eternal youth by replicating that process in all cells. The upshot as far as cloning goes is that if you clone a 60-year-old, you will have a clone with 60-year-old cells. So for now, at least, cloning Hitler is out of the question.
The Raelians, an obscure religious sect, have begun a program they call Clonaid that seeks to be the first to produce a human clone. They claim to have all the donated eggs and surrogate mothers they need. The parents of a 10-month-old boy who died during surgery are to be the first recipients of a clone of their dead child.
Numerous other groups also are working to provide clones to anyone who will foot the bill. The problem with passing laws against cloning is that someone will do it anyway. The Raelians have based their operations in Canada to avoid coming U.S. legislation that may prevent their operation. Researchers in countries such as South Korea face little or no government opposition to their efforts.
The real threat to the future of humanity is not the American government and corporate researchers. The real danger is that public outcry over the efforts of a few irresponsible individuals will cause sweeping legislation to be passed that will prevent useful research.
The possibilities of these new technologies are endless. Within our lifetimes we may live to see an end to aging. We may see the last cancer patient on earth smiling on TV as he is cured. Many of the diseases that have plagued humankind for eons will become things of the past. In 30 years, any part of your body that has been injured or is imperfect will be replaceable — doctors will just take a sample of DNA from you and grow a replacement.
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Scary possibilities exist as well. Eugenically created armies of clones marching to the drums of fanatic despots could roam the earth. Companies could mass-produce copies of their most profitable employees. The ability to produce human beings in a lab could erode our moral and ethical structures to the point where humans are seen as little more than a machine.
The choices we make today will decide how the future develops. We must learn to accept the dynamic face of technology, frightening as it may be, or else be left behind. Pandora’s Box has been opened, and the coming biological age cannot be prevented. About the only thing we can control is who will have the most knowledge of the subject.
