Gene Therapy

“Gene therapy” and “Gene doping” is an extension of the recombinant DNA technology used for gene cloning we are discussing in class. While gene therapy generally implies that the genetic modification of the individual is used for therapeutic purposes, gene doping implies making genetic modifications to improve humans, not necessarily to cure a human disease. This link provides some good background (http://www.ornl.gov/sci/techresources/Human_Genome/medicine/genetherapy.shtml ( “Gene therapy” and “Gene doping” is an extension of the recombinant DNA technology used for gene cloning we are discussing in class. While gene therapy generally implies that the genetic modification of the individual is used for therapeutic purposes, gene doping implies making genetic modifications to improve humans, not necessarily to cure a human disease. This link provides some good background (http://www.ornl.gov/sci/techresources/Human_Genome/medicine/genetherapy.shtml ) while this link (http://www.nature.com/scitable/topicpage/sports-gene-doping-and-wada-764) is a good introduction to this controversy. For this week’s forum I would like you to research this topic and consider the pros and cons of gene therapy. Do your own research and find examples of how gene therapy is currently being developed or used. Do the benefits of this technology outweigh the potential dangers? Are the potential uses of this technology such as gene doping acceptable? Are there other potential uses of this technology that would not be acceptable, genetic modification of human embryos (designer babies)? As society how should this issue be discussed and who should be responsible for regulating it? For your post make sure that you take a stand on this topic one way the other and support it with outside research. while this link (http://www.nature.com/scitable/topicpage/sports-gene-doping-and-wada-764 ) is a good introduction to this controversy. For this week’s forum I would like you to research this topic and consider the pros and cons of gene therapy. Do your own research and find examples of how gene therapy is currently being developed or used. Do the benefits of this technology outweigh the potential dangers? Are the potential uses of this technology such as gene doping acceptable? Are there other potential uses of this technology that would not be acceptable, genetic modification of human embryos (designer babies)? As society how should this issue be discussed and who should be responsible for regulating it? Please make sure that you take a stand on this topic one way the other and support it with outside research.

 separate paragraphs for each questions