UK Bill To Allow Genetic Modifications Of Embryos.

Language: JP EN DE FR
2010-09-08
New Items
users online
Forum » Everything Else » Culture and Media » UK bill to allow genetic modifications of embryos.
UK bill to allow genetic modifications of embryos.
First Page 2 3 4
 Asura.Kingnobody
Bug Hunter
Offline
Server: Asura
Game: FFXI
Posts: 34187
By Asura.Kingnobody 2015-02-03 13:07:06
Link | Quote | Reply
 
UK to allow genetic modification of embryos to help stem inherited disorders and diseases

Quote:
British lawmakers in the House of Commons voted Tuesday to allow scientists to create babies from the DNA of three people — a move that could prevent some children from inheriting potentially fatal diseases from their mothers.

The vote in the House of Commons was 382-128 in favor. The bill must next be approved by the House of Lords before becoming law. If so, it would make Britain the first country in the world to allow embryos to be genetically modified.

The controversial techniques — which aim to prevent mothers from passing on inherited diseases — involve altering a human egg or embryo before transferring it into the mother. British law currently forbids any such modification and critics say approving the techniques could lead to the creation of "designer babies."

Defects in the mitochondria can result in diseases including muscular dystrophy, heart, kidney and liver failure and severe muscle weakness.

The technology is completely different from that used to create genetically modified foods, where scientists typically select individual genes to be transferred from one organism into another.

In the House of Commons, health minister Jane Ellison kicked off the debate by urging support for the change.

"This is a bold step to take, but it is a considered and informed step," she said, of the proposed technology to help women with mitochondrial diseases.

Critics, however, say the techniques cross a fundamental scientific boundary, since the changes made to the embryos will be passed on to future generations.

"(This is) about protecting children from the severe health risks of these unnecessary techniques and protecting everyone from the eugenic designer-baby future that will follow from this," said David King, director of the secular watchdog group Human Genetics Alert.

The techniques would likely only be used in about a dozen British women every year who have faulty mitochondria, the energy-producing structures outside a cell's nucleus. To fix that, scientists remove the nucleus DNA from the egg of a prospective mother and insert it into a donor egg from which the nucleus DNA has been removed. This can be done either before or after fertilization.

The resulting embryo would end up with the nucleus DNA from its parents but the mitochondrial DNA from the donor. Scientists say the DNA from the donor egg amounts to less than 1 percent of the resulting embryo's genes.

Last year, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration held a meeting to discuss the techniques and scientists warned it could take decades to determine if they are safe. Experts say the techniques are likely being used elsewhere, such as in China and Japan, but are mostly unregulated.

Rachel Kean, whose aunt suffered from mitochondrial disease and had several miscarriages and stillbirths, said she hoped British politicians would approve the techniques. Kean, an activist for the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign, said her mother is also a carrier of mitochondrial disease and that she herself would like the option one day of having children who won't be affected.

"Knowing that you could bring a child into this world for a short, painful life of suffering is not something I would want to do," she said.

A spokesman for Prime Minister David Cameron said he was a "strong supporter" of the change. Cameron had a severely disabled son, Ivan, who died at age 6 in 2009, from a rare form of epilepsy.

Lisa Jardine, who chaired a review into the techniques conducted by Britain's fertility regulator, said each case will be under close scrutiny and that doctors will track children born using this technique as well as their future offspring. She acknowledged there was still uncertainty about the safety of the novel techniques.

"Every medical procedure ultimately carries a small risk," she said, pointing out that the first baby created using in-vitro fertilization would never have been born if scientists hadn't risked experimenting with unproven methods.

Yet Kean said she understood the opposition to the new technology.

"It's everybody's prerogative to object, due to their own personal beliefs," she said. "But to me the most ethical option is stopping these devastating diseases from causing suffering in the future."

Good for the UK.
[+]
Offline
Posts: 24505
By Ramyrez 2015-02-03 13:08:00
Link | Quote | Reply
 
Thumbs way the *** up.
[+]
 Valefor.Sehachan
Guide Maker
Offline
Server: Valefor
Game: FFXI
user: Seha
Posts: 24219
By Valefor.Sehachan 2015-02-03 13:08:58
Link | Quote | Reply
 
*prepares a buffet for this thread* Waiting for the usual suspects then this'll be a party.
[+]
 Asura.Kingnobody
Bug Hunter
Offline
Server: Asura
Game: FFXI
Posts: 34187
By Asura.Kingnobody 2015-02-03 13:11:05
Link | Quote | Reply
 
Valefor.Sehachan said: »
*prepares a buffet for this thread* Waiting for the usual suspects then this'll be a party.
I hope for once that nothing will happen.

This is actually good news and, if proven successful, will help stem the illogical fear among other related procedures, including stem cell research.
[+]
 Fenrir.Atheryn
Offline
Server: Fenrir
Game: FFXI
user: Temptaru
Posts: 1665
By Fenrir.Atheryn 2015-02-03 13:15:49
Link | Quote | Reply
 
Asura.Kingnobody said: »
Good for the UK.

I guess that'll put an end to the bad teeth stereotype.
[+]
 Lakshmi.Zerowone
Offline
Server: Lakshmi
Game: FFXI
user: Zerowone
Posts: 6949
By Lakshmi.Zerowone 2015-02-03 13:19:15
Link | Quote | Reply
 
Can I get a genetically modified embryo with a set of bionic eyes?
 Valefor.Sehachan
Guide Maker
Offline
Server: Valefor
Game: FFXI
user: Seha
Posts: 24219
By Valefor.Sehachan 2015-02-03 13:21:54
Link | Quote | Reply
 
Aww yiss, I love me some eugenics!



pic is in reference to a Naruto conspiracy
 Leviathan.Protey
Offline
Server: Leviathan
Game: FFXI
user: Protey
Posts: 685
By Leviathan.Protey 2015-02-03 13:30:46
Link | Quote | Reply
 
incoming first step before we go to genetic requirements to get a job.

[+]
 Lakshmi.Sparthosx
Offline
Server: Lakshmi
Game: FFXI
user: sparthosx
Posts: 10394
By Lakshmi.Sparthosx 2015-02-03 13:36:36
Link | Quote | Reply
 
I want my baby to have 6 arms, an obsession with collecting swords of value and the ability to travel through the interdimensional rift.
[+]
 Leviathan.Protey
Offline
Server: Leviathan
Game: FFXI
user: Protey
Posts: 685
By Leviathan.Protey 2015-02-03 13:38:36
Link | Quote | Reply
 
Verda said: »
That movie was interesting, but like most sci fi it's full of cheese and not really that real to life.

yea, a lot of sci-fi I think is a saying "woah, let's take a step back and think about what we're doing". Basically since technology advances by leaps and bounds in the last century. People are concerned that we're jumping too fast and we might end up doing something horrible that will be extremely difficult or impossible to reverse.
Offline
Posts: 24505
By Ramyrez 2015-02-03 13:40:06
Link | Quote | Reply
 
Leviathan.Protey said: »
incoming first step before we go to genetic requirements to get a job.

...we already have them?
Offline
Posts: 24505
By Ramyrez 2015-02-03 13:41:00
Link | Quote | Reply
 
Leviathan.Protey said: »
yea, a lot of sci-fi I think is a saying "woah, let's take a step back and think about what we're doing". Basically since technology advances by leaps and bounds in the last century. People are concerned that we're jumping too fast and we might end up doing something horrible that will be extremely difficult or impossible to reverse.



Check that off the list. We've already done it. Why stop now?
Offline
Posts: 35422
By fonewear 2015-02-03 13:41:31
Link | Quote | Reply
 
I want a baby that will be adopted by Angelina Jolie.

Scratch that I want to be adopted by Angelina...
Offline
Posts: 24505
By Ramyrez 2015-02-03 13:42:23
Link | Quote | Reply
 
fonewear said: »
I want a baby that will be adopted by Angelina Jolie.

Scratch that I want to be adopted by Angelina...

lolOedipuswut
Offline
Posts: 35422
By fonewear 2015-02-03 13:42:41
Link | Quote | Reply
 
Not Oedipus if I'm adopted...

Also no one talks about Freud expect first year Psych majors.
Offline
Posts: 35422
By fonewear 2015-02-03 13:45:41
Link | Quote | Reply
 
Ramyrez said: »
Leviathan.Protey said: »
yea, a lot of sci-fi I think is a saying "woah, let's take a step back and think about what we're doing". Basically since technology advances by leaps and bounds in the last century. People are concerned that we're jumping too fast and we might end up doing something horrible that will be extremely difficult or impossible to reverse.



Check that off the list. We've already done it. Why stop now?

Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds.
 Leviathan.Protey
Offline
Server: Leviathan
Game: FFXI
user: Protey
Posts: 685
By Leviathan.Protey 2015-02-03 13:46:19
Link | Quote | Reply
 
Ramyrez said: »
Leviathan.Protey said: »
incoming first step before we go to genetic requirements to get a job.

...we already have them?

In the movie, everywhere you went you would be genetically tested. If you had been a natural born instead of a genetically modified person you were basically sub-human and had difficulty getting a job. Didn't matter if you were more capable.
Offline
Posts: 35422
By fonewear 2015-02-03 13:47:05
Link | Quote | Reply
 
As long as Uma Thurman is in my life I'm ok with this.
 Lakshmi.Sparthosx
Offline
Server: Lakshmi
Game: FFXI
user: sparthosx
Posts: 10394
By Lakshmi.Sparthosx 2015-02-03 13:47:25
Link | Quote | Reply
 
Ramyrez said: »
Leviathan.Protey said: »
yea, a lot of sci-fi I think is a saying "woah, let's take a step back and think about what we're doing". Basically since technology advances by leaps and bounds in the last century. People are concerned that we're jumping too fast and we might end up doing something horrible that will be extremely difficult or impossible to reverse.



Check that off the list. We've already done it. Why stop now?

Atomic weapons will look like a walk through the park compared to the potential of human engineering and A.I
Offline
Posts: 35422
By fonewear 2015-02-03 13:47:56
Link | Quote | Reply
 
You talking about real AI or the terrible movie ?
 Lakshmi.Sparthosx
Offline
Server: Lakshmi
Game: FFXI
user: sparthosx
Posts: 10394
By Lakshmi.Sparthosx 2015-02-03 13:55:11
Link | Quote | Reply
 
fonewear said: »
You talking about real AI or the terrible movie ?

Real AI. Though the prospect of watching A.I is also pretty frightening.
[+]
Offline
Posts: 24505
By Ramyrez 2015-02-03 14:03:16
Link | Quote | Reply
 
Lakshmi.Sparthosx said: »
Atomic weapons will look like a walk through the park compared to the potential of human engineering and A.I

I have no problems with human engineering; I'm not certain why people would. Being able to do away with congenital defects, genetic abnormalities and other such undesirable things?

Look, I'm not saying people with Downs Syndrome, for instance, don't deserve to live. But what if we could detect that and correct it prior to birth? Is that really a bad thing?
 Caitsith.Zahrah
Offline
Server: Caitsith
Game: FFXI
user: zahrah
By Caitsith.Zahrah 2015-02-03 14:04:18
Link | Quote | Reply
 
Lakshmi.Sparthosx said: »
I want my baby to have 6 arms, an obsession with collecting swords of value and the ability to travel through the interdimensional rift.

You won't settle for four arms and protector of the current world?



Give an inch, take a mile.
[+]
Offline
Posts: 24505
By Ramyrez 2015-02-03 14:04:54
Link | Quote | Reply
 
Lakshmi.Sparthosx said: »
Real AI. Though the prospect of watching A.I is also pretty frightening.

As far as AI...mixed feelings. I'd like to think we could make it work out well. But I also have a very real fear of something like Terminator or The Matrix coming true. I mean, really.

Asimo is freaking terrifying.
 Cerberus.Senkyuutai
Offline
Server: Cerberus
Game: FFXI
user: Yuffy
Posts: 4415
By Cerberus.Senkyuutai 2015-02-03 14:04:56
Link | Quote | Reply
 
Leviathan.Protey said: »
Ramyrez said: »
Leviathan.Protey said: »
incoming first step before we go to genetic requirements to get a job.

...we already have them?

In the movie, everywhere you went you would be genetically tested. If you had been a natural born instead of a genetically modified person you were basically sub-human and had difficulty getting a job. Didn't matter if you were more capable.
That's the same as nowadays, you just need to replace birth with skin color and where you're from (among other things, such as being a woman and not a man. In my previous job, women weren't allowed to be hired during 8 years until they changed it).

Here in Quebec (French Canada), if you're a French person from France, you're immediately worth less than someone born in Quebec. You speak a better version of their language and at worse have the same abilities but you're still seen as a worse version of the locals.
My friend has had a lot of troubles getting a job here for this reason, he was even insulted by a job recruiter for speaking French without a Quebec accent.
 Cerberus.Senkyuutai
Offline
Server: Cerberus
Game: FFXI
user: Yuffy
Posts: 4415
By Cerberus.Senkyuutai 2015-02-03 14:06:19
Link | Quote | Reply
 
Ramyrez said: »
Lakshmi.Sparthosx said: »
Atomic weapons will look like a walk through the park compared to the potential of human engineering and A.I

I have no problems with human engineering; I'm not certain why people would. Being able to do away with congenital defects, genetic abnormalities and other such undesirable things?

Look, I'm not saying people with Downs Syndrome, for instance, don't deserve to live. But what if we could detect that and correct it prior to birth? Is that really a bad thing?
It's not bad, you just completely overlook what will, in fact, happen.

Nuclear energy isn't bad in itself, we get a lot of good things from it, but then, we make a bomb out of it and poof, Japan still suffers from it.

Think twice.
 Cerberus.Conagh
Offline
Server: Cerberus
Game: FFXI
user: onagh
Posts: 3189
By Cerberus.Conagh 2015-02-03 14:07:59
Link | Quote | Reply
 
Leviathan.Protey said: »
Ramyrez said: »
Leviathan.Protey said: »
incoming first step before we go to genetic requirements to get a job.

...we already have them?

In the movie, everywhere you went you would be genetically tested. If you had been a natural born instead of a genetically modified person you were basically sub-human and had difficulty getting a job. Didn't matter if you were more capable.


Didn't SE add this Item Levels and people assuming 119 is better than 118 even though 118 has Deals Damage +9000000000000000000
and 119 has 2 CHR.


Sounds Legit
First Page 2 3 4
Log in to post.