Ever had that debate with someone putting another (or you) down about looks or certain attributes and you (or they) said, “Well if he/she/I could change it, I/he/she sure would!”
Welp. With research taking place at London’s Francis Crick Institute, going forward, you might have that option as, scientists have been given the green light by the fertility regulator to genetically modify human embryos—in the UK.
This is a first for the country-that a DNA altering technique has been approved (although it will be illegal to place altered embryos into a woman).
This controversial science is like plastic surgery at ground level and it all kinds of ways weird.
Like…what the!!? How does that work?!
For instance, I’m not opposed to what living, adult, human beings do to make themselves fee l beautiful but when it comes to procreation, what now?-there’s not plastic surgery at birth. Off springs of people who reconstruct themselves have to live with what they are born with until they are of age to change what, if anything they may not like about themselves.
With GM (genetically modification, fancy name “genetic editing”) babies, DNA can be altered before an embryo becomes a fetus!
That, to me is a combination of genius and too, coming from a spiritual standpoint, is a bit disturbing and too, begs the question:
If that GM embryo had its DNA ordered: e.g. “blue eyes, brown hair) etc. and as it becomes a fetus (eventually born with its “order” by design), does that GM babies (now born with his/her designer traits), give birth to seeds with the GM designs, or no-I wonder.
It would seem that if genetically modified at embryo even before developing into a fetus, it would artificially/naturally (now) possess their GM traits and (could now) pass them off to their off springs.
“Life-changing” (this science) is an understatement. And I could totally see this procedure being done more often than not—for those who can afford it.
That (too), being the case, this science is going to open doors to so many social, socio-economic, religious and moral debates than as probably anticipated.
The other question with that is, for people who believe that birth starts at the moment there is an embryo (versus those who argue that life doesn’t start until an embryo is a fetus), how will people argue (or defend) GM babies?
This could get interesting, because, again, like I said: essentially, “genetic editing” is like getting cosmetic surgery and at ground level.
Connect with this story from bbc.com brought to you by our sister site
In the meantime, check out some related videos on “genetic editing” (which too, has double-use: the other is helping fight disease):
For the record, like stem cell (which too, is controversial because the most effective/useful stem cell is typically collected from aborted fetuses, but too, can be collected from other cells and areas in and of the human body), are very help in curing conditions and diseases, so does genetic editing. While both genetic editing and stem cells help, taken further, use of it becomes social and moral issues.
