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THE PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE OF DESIGNER BABIES 1

THE PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE OF DESIGNER BABIES Melissa Barnes Penn Foster Introductory To Biology Veterinary Technician Student ID #: 22846665 [email protected] Sci120 Research Paper Lesson #: 573145 May 19, 2019

THE PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE OF DESIGNER BABIES 2 Abstract Science and technology play an important role in our world. And both have been advancing and around for a gazillion years or more. Well I’m sure they have been around for at least…never mind, my age is not important here. Moving right along. Just within the past year there have been major breakthroughs by researchers in the field of genetics.

For instance, they may have found a way to cure diseases such as cancer, and parents may be able to have the option to choose the gender or enhance certain traits of their future child before they are born. Wait. What? How would this be even remotely possible? Researchers have discovered that by creating what is termed a ‘designer baby’ that this could be a possible reality soon. Although this may sound like an amazing scientific breakthrough, the topic of designer babies is causing a great deal of controversy and raising questions of ethical and safety concerns. This paper is being written to provide you with the different viewpoints of this modern-day miracle.

THE PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE OF DESIGNER BABIES 3 The Past, Present, and Future of Designer Babies A designer baby is a term used to describe a baby “whose genetic make-up has been pre-selected during the fetal-development stage of life” (Ayers, 2019) by a process called gene-editing. The objective is to rid the child’s DNA of a certain defective genes that can cause debilitating or life-threatening disease such as cystic fibrosis. And it can also be used to make changes to the child’s DNA to bring about a specific outcome such as the child’s sex, or to enhance certain traits, for example eye color. Yes, it does sound like this could be the answer to saving the life by eradicating a disease. As in the story of Adam Nash. Adam was at one time labeled the “Little Frankenstein” by the New York post in 2000. Adam Nash was conceived by in vitro fertilization and doctors from the “University of Minnesota collected stem cells from his umbilical cord blood, to save his dying sister, Molly, who suffered from Fanconi anemia (Olson, 2017).?

However, you must ask yourself, is this new discovery going to give researchers a way to abuse their knowledge, as in the case of the Chinese scientist who claims that he is the first to use gene-editing before pregnancy to birth twin girls and who has also been terminated from his former university. State media stated, “he evaded oversight and broke ethical boundaries in a quest for fame and fortune” (Reuters, 2018).

THE PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE OF DESIGNER BABIES 4 So, let’s look at what pros and cons of designer babies, could possibly have instore for us in the near future. PROS Gene-editing could be a new way to fight disease that have become highly resistant to our current approach to treatment, such as cancer. Also, the process of designer babies could prevent genetic disorders and “early intervention with gene-editing that could replace faulty cells or insert missing ones to provide a potential cure” (Ayers, 2019). It may also allow parents who have three girls and who want a boy, to have the option of choosing the gender of their next child. Just as there is a pro for designer babies there are also cons. CONS One of the most debated concerns are the safety factors. When altering anyones DNA, you run the risk of unexpected results. “There are concerns that gene-editing could introduce new diseases into the human race”. (Ayers, 2019). Also this could lead our society to be divided into two categories: the “super race” and the “average” race which

could encourage “genetic doping”. This is a term that describes an individual who undergoes genetic modification for no medical purpose but rather to reach the same level of success as a genetically altered individual. (Ayers, 2019).

THE PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE OF DESIGNER BABIES 5 CONCLUSION There is a “good” and “bad” idea or thought in every situation. But with those ideas or thoughts, come great responsibility and consequences of the outcome. I do feel that geneediting and designer babies could lead to an answer for cures to rid us of so many terrible diseases. However, I do feel that more research and stronger safety measures need to be put into place. There are so many uncertainties to this new science that we need to protect society from any potentially dangerous or more problematic diseases being introduced into the human race....