GM embryos 'essential' says report

[Jenn]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-34200029

:O Saw this on the news the other day at work, somewhere Max Planck institute was mentioned but I can't seem to find where now.

It is "essential" that the genetic modification of human embryos is allowed, says a group of scientists, ethicists and policy experts.

A Hinxton Group report says editing the genetic code of early stage embryos is of "tremendous value" to research.
It adds although GM babies should not be allowed to be born at the moment, it may be "morally acceptable" under some circumstances in the future. The US refuses to fund research involving the gene editing of embryos.

The global Hinxton Group met in response to the phenomenal advances taking place in the field of genetics.

A range of novel techniques combine a "molecular sat-nav" that travels to a precise location in our DNA with a pair of "molecular scissors" that cut it. It has transformed research in a wide range of fields, but the progress means genetically modified babies are ceasing to be a prospect and fast becoming a possibility. Earlier this year, a team at Sun Yat-sen University, in China, showed that errors in the DNA that led to a blood disorder could be corrected in early stage embryos. In the future, the technologies could be used to prevent children being born with cystic fibrosis or genes that increase the risk of cancer.

Embryo engineering dominates debate around these novel gene-editing tools. But while disease-free children or "designer babies" may be on the horizon, the more immediate uses are far less controversial. It could restore the reputation of the field of gene therapy in adults and children. It was nearly a success in children with no immune system (known as bubble-boy syndrome). Symptoms improved, but the technique led to cancer in some cases. These more accurate tools may be able to tweak our genetic code without the side-effects.

There have even been successful trials to give HIV patients immunity to the virus. And because these changes would not be passed on to the next generation, they are far less controversial.
There have been calls for a moratorium on such research, which has left many asking where to draw the line - should any embryo research be banned, should it be allowed but only for research, or should GM babies be permitted?
A meeting of the influential Hinxton Group, in Manchester, acknowledged that the rate of progress meant there was a "pressure to make decisions" and argued embryo editing should be allowed.

In a statement, it said: "We believe that while this technology has tremendous value to basic research and enormous potential... it is not sufficiently developed to consider human genome editing for clinical reproductive purposes at this time."

This is in stark contrast to the US National Institutes of Health, which has already refused to fund any gene editing of embryos.

Its director, Dr Francis Collins, who was also a key player in the Human Genome Project, said: "The concept of altering the human germline [inherited DNA] in embryos for clinical purposes has been debated over many years from many different perspectives, and has been viewed almost universally as a line that should not be crossed."

 

[theos]

Posted on Sott today: http://www.sott.net/article/301619-Hinxton-Group-report-GM-embryos-essential

I predict just as much success with GM babies as there is with GM food.

 

[Jenn]

Agreed, it's a disaster waiting to happen. With barely any rules/ regulations mad scientists are let loose!

 

[casper]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-34200029


A Hinxton Group report says editing the genetic code of early stage embryos is of "tremendous value" to research.
It adds although GM babies should not be allowed to be born at the moment, it may be "morally acceptable" under some circumstances in the future.

I guess we have a new definition of the word " moral " in the dictionary
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
definition of morality, a quote from Wikipedia:
Morale (morals, morals) in the broadest sense, a form of social consciousness, a set of unwritten rules, customs, habits and norms that are accepted in the life of a community. Morale determines how human activity should be, and members of the community accept these principles as a decent and subjected them, thereby regulating human relations. Moral rules are not absolutely valid, but also across time and space. This makes the concept had to close the concept of ethos.

In contrast to the positive laws, moral rules - when broken - not make political or economic sanctions. As sanctions immoral behavior occurs remorse, reprimand or boycott the environment.

On moral influence: people's awareness, education within the family, the Church, tradition, experience of life and politics. Legal requirements have their origin in the moral law. Moral laws and legislation are strong defense mechanism of the community, especially in an emergency.

 

[Mr.Cyan]

Agreed, it's a disaster waiting to happen. With barely any rules/ regulations mad scientists are let loose!

Agreed too ! Just when you thought things were crazy enough - here it is; another sicko idea ! or maybe they think the current breed of psycho's around the world are not enough, and they want to engineer more malevolent kinds ? it could possibly already be happening in secret programs, and maybe this is a way to bring it into the "mainstream"....

 

[MusicMan]

I think the technology would be sufficiently advanced that they don't need to mess about with foetuses anymore, they just attach the gene sequence they want to introduce to a rotavirus or something similar, and feed it to you via another GMO product, and there you go, the next generation will inherit the sequence.

I see they have already got a fluorescent cat, with genes introduced from jellyfish for God's sake!

 

[Erykah]

I see they have already got a fluorescent cat, with genes introduced from jellyfish for God's sake!

And Glow in the Dark Chickens too!

Biotech Madness! Genetically-Modified "Glow" chicken

Reuters reported,

To genetically engineer chickens, the UK researchers inject a "decoy" gene into a cluster of cells on the yolk of a newly laid egg. The egg will hatch into a chick containing the decoy gene, which it will be able to pass on to its offspring.

The decoy gene is injected into the chicken chromosome alongside the fluorescent protein that makes the birds glow under ultraviolet light, similar to glow-in-the-dark posters in college dorm rooms. The birds would not be bred to glow if they are commercialized.

When the modified birds come into contact with the flu, their genetic code is designed to trick the virus into copying the decoy and to inhibit the virus' ability to reproduce itself.

 

[Gaby]

And Glow in the Dark Chickens too!

:O