Introduction
Genetic technology has opened a new platform in medicine because it aids in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases. With the help of genetic technology, healthcare providers can accurately diagnose genetic diseases and provide effective therapies, which have been lacking in the past century. Moreover, genetic technology enables the cloning of tissues and organs for transplant, and thus averts the conventional way of generating tissues and organs through donation. The Human Genome Project provides the basis for studying the human genome, and is thus central in the evolution of genetic technology. Projections show that by the 22nd century, genetic technology would transform the realm of medicine since genetics would be the markers of diseases and targets of therapies. According to Oliveira and Oliveira (2012), the evolution of genetic technology and norms will pave way for the revelation of mysteries, which have perplexed humans for centuries. Therefore, this essay forecasts the advancement of genetic technology in the 22nd century in aspects of gene therapy and eugenics with the view of assessing its potential benefits and dangers.
Gene therapy
Gene therapy entails the use of genes as pharmaceutical agents for treating genetic diseases and disorders caused by defective genes. The application of gene therapy is central in the treatment of genetic diseases and disorders such as hemophilia, Parkinson’s disease, x-linked severe combined immunodeficiency, leukemia, diabetes, and multiple myeloma amongst others. Given that genetic diseases are incurable; the application of gene therapy offers an effective form of therapy. By the 22nd century, the advancement of genetic technology would not only enable the diagnosis of genetic diseases but would also enhance replacement of defective genes through gene therapy. Convention on Human Rights and Dignity of Human Beings has allowed the use of genetic technology for diagnostic, preventive, and therapeutic purposes (Oliveira & Oliveira, 2012). This means that biotechnologists have freedom to design gene therapies for various genetic disorders.
Since biotechnologists can design new therapies without facing any legal and ethical restriction, it is predictable that by the 22nd century, gene therapy would be used in the treatment of all genetic diseases. Germline line therapy and somatic gene therapy are two methods of gene therapy that biotechnologists are trying to apply in curing genetic diseases and disorders in the Germline. Germ line therapy involves the introduction of functional genes into germ cells to replace the defective genes, which are responsible for genetic diseases and disorders. Germline therapy would ensure that congenital and hereditary diseases and disorders such as leukemia, hemophilia, cystic fibrosis, sickle cell anemia, and albinism do not exist. Moreover, somatic therapy, which entails the use of stem cells in the production of functional cells and tissues in the body, would help overcome degenerative diseases and disorders such as diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, and Alzheimer’s disease amongst others (Oliveira & Oliveira, 2012). Therefore, germline therapy and somatic gene therapy would be applicable in the eradication of genetic diseases and disorders in the 22nd century.
Eugenics
Eugenics is a science that aims at improving the health of human populations by enhancing the quality of genes. Eugenics holds that humans have good and bad attributes and that biotechnologists can apply genetic techniques to select good attributes (positive eugenics) and remove bad attributes (negative eugenics). As one aspect of eugenics, positive eugenics promotes good attributes of individuals by improving their genetic makeup. Fundamentally, positive eugenics aims at improving and enhancing reproduction among individuals who are healthy, intelligent, and successful (Turda, 2009). In view of this, by the 22nd century, in vitro fertilization, cloning, egg transplantation would be eugenic approaches of improving the genetic makeup of the population. Essentially, by the 22nd century, virtually all individuals would be having good attributes due to eugenics.
Negative eugenics is another aspect of eugenics that aims at eliminating bad attributes, which individuals possess in the population. Given that bad attributes such as physical disability, immorality, and mental disability are common in modern society, application of eugenics would eliminate them by the 22nd century. Eugenics approaches of eliminating bad attributes among the population include sterilization, segregation, abortion, and family planning. Turda (2009) asserts that negative eugenics is important in reducing the occurrence of degenerative diseases cause by hereditary. Therefore, by the 22nd century, eugenics would have eliminated hereditary disorders and improved the health status of the population.
Ethically and legally, eugenics is not acceptable because it demeans the dignity of humans and disregards innate attributes that people possess. Regardless of physical, mental, intellectual, and other attributes that people possess, it is discriminating to recognize some human attributes and disregard others. Turda (2009) argues that eugenics violates the principle of human dignity at the expense of attaining perfection, beauty, and morality. As ethics focuses on individual dignity, eugenics focuses on population health, and thus undermines the nature of humans as independent entities. Thus, it is unacceptable to allow biotechnologists to apply biotechnologies for eugenic purposes because it degrades human dignity at the expense of societal interests.
Foreseeable Dangers of Eugenics
The application of eugenics has potential dangers because it provides humans with the capacity to dictate the existence of other humans whom they deem as undesirable, unhelpful, and worthless. In essence, eugenics would result in discrimination of people with certain attributes against others who do not have those attributes. Hence, one foreseeable danger of eugenics is increased discrimination of people based on their physical, social, economic, intellectual, and behavioral attributes, which are subject to eugenicists. Another foreseeable danger of eugenics is erosion of ethics with respect to human dignity because of the negative eugenics. The people whom the society deems as unfit would be extinct by the 22nd century, if the modern society accepts eugenic practices, both negative and positive ones. Koch (2011) argues that eugenic practices make life an object rather than the subject of science, and thus degrading its value among the population. Thus, the foreseeable danger is that eugenicists and the society would eventually lose human dignity and subject the human population to pain and torture.
Conclusion
Since genetic technology is advancing rapidly, modern medicine has adopted it because it is an effective approach of diagnosing and treating genetic disorders and diseases. Genetic technology is gaining significant application in the field of therapy because germ lines and somatic cells are applicable in treating diseases such as leukemia, sickle cell anemia, and Parkinson’s diseases amongst others. Given that genetics forms the basis of human health, eugenicists are advocating the use of eugenics in improving genetic attributes of people such as intelligence, morality, and physical health. Both positive and negative eugenics are important because they enable society to improve good qualities and eliminate bad qualities respectively. Although gene therapy and eugenics aim at improving the health of the population by the 22nd century, they pose significant dangers to humanity. Foreseeable dangers are increased discrimination of people and deterioration of moral values that protect human dignity.
References
Koch, T. (2011). Eugenics and the Genetic Challenge, Again: All Dressed Up and Just Everywhere to Go. Cambridge Quarterly of Healthcare Ethics, 20(2): 191-203.
Oliveira, E., & Oliveira, P. (2012). Protection of Genetic Heritage in the Era of Cloning. Revista Brasileira De Hematologia Hemoterapia, 34(6), 452-458.
Turda, M. (2009). “To End the Degeneration of a Nation.”: Debates on Eugenic Sterilization in Inter-War Romania. Medical History, 57(1), 77-104.