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Human gene modification (Intro (How gene modification works (("How…

- - - - This article starts off immediately mentioning politics, saying that both parties have reasons for not supporting genetic modification.
      - They mention concerns for editing germline genes, which will effect generations, rather than somatic genes, that only effect that one person.
      - They bring up religious concerns as well as general moral concerns, such as the fears of there being no diversity because everyone will have had modified their children.
  - - - This article discusses where the line can be drawn for what’s ethical and what isn’t ethical in order to ensure your children are healthy.
      - They discredit claims such as dystopian futures with completely genetically modified super soldiers or the loss of diversity.
      - The author of this article is not a scientist, but she does bring up valid points that could be used to develop better arguments.
    - - This article briefly discusses the short history of genetic engineering and then talks about the ethics of it
      - She talks about how claims that genetic modification is unnatural are unreasonable and that many things that humans are doing are unnatural, especially in the medical world.
      - the author of this article is much more qualified to speak about this topic than Saulter, and although their arguments are different, they overlap in some places.
    - - n this article, Koepsell discusses the different arguments against genetic engineering and refutes them with scientific evidence.
      - He also explains in depth how the genetic modification occurs.
      - He refutes the arguments with religion based objections without simply denying the existence of God
      - He also discusses the benefits and drawbacks of genetic engineering, although some of this data may be outdated due to the age of the text.
  - - - This article underlines the risks involved with gene modification research, talking about the deaths of volunteers and the technical issues that lead to them
      - The article also describes some of the processes used in gene modification.
      - They show a bias against gene modification but are providing fair and knowledgeable reasons for being so.
  - - - Could be used as a jumping off point for further arguments on both sides.
      - The article appears not to have a strong bias towards either side, discussing both the geneticists views as well as people with moral complaints
      - This source discusses the possible uses for genetic modification as well as how it could be abused
    - - This source explains the scientific aspects of gene therapy. It talks about how it can be used, how the procedure is actually done, and what needs further research before it can be introduced to the public.
      - This source may be a bit biased for genetic modification, but they bring up reasonable scientific points.
      - It’s a pretty reputable source because the publisher is the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
- - - - A gene that is inserted directly into a cell usually does not function. Instead, a carrier called a vector is genetically engineered to deliver the gene. Certain viruses are often used as vectors because they can deliver the new gene by infecting the cell. The viruses are modified so they can't cause disease when used in people.
        
        Other viruses, such as adenoviruses, introduce their DNA into the nucleus of the cell, but the DNA is not integrated into a chromosome.
        
        Some types of virus, such as retroviruses, integrate their genetic material (including the new gene) into a chromosome in the human cell.
      - The vector can be injected or given intravenously (by IV) directly into a specific tissue in the body, where it is taken up by individual cells.
      - Alternately, a sample of the patient's cells can be removed and exposed to the vector in a laboratory setting. The cells containing the vector are then returned to the patient.
      - If the treatment is successful, the new gene delivered by the vector will make a functioning protein.
    - - The organizational component of every life
        form on Earth is wrapped up in DNA
      - Each organism carries within its DNA the instructions for that organism’s every ongoing function, folded tightly in the nucleus of most of its cells.
        
        The same DNA exists in the organism’s “germline” cells, used for reproduction, as in the organism’s other cells (referred to as somatic cells)
        
        germline DNA, as opposed to somatic DNA, is used solely to create new offspring, forming a part of the set of instructions that are combined (in the case of sexual reproduction) with DNA from the other parent.
      - In some cases, genetic disorders are the result of errors which creep into germline cells because of environmental factors; some errors creep into the genome as a result of copying errors during replication. In other instances, defective genes may be passed on through generations of parents where the trait has not been fatal. In many cases, genetic diseases remain as dormant, recessive traits waiting to be passed on to offspring of parents who both happen to have the recessive characteristic
  - - - Until recently, however, human germline genetic modification, changes to the genome that will be passed down to future generations, was more the stuff of speculation than scientific endeavour. Existing techniques for germline genetic modification were too inefficient, imprecise and impractical to justify their use in human beings; whatever we might think of modifying the genome in principle, the risks and technical hurdles were simply too great to attempt such experiments in practice. With the advent of so-called ‘gene editing’ technologies such as the CRISPR/Cas9 system, however, this has changed.
    - - Before CRISPR, traditional gene targeting was cumbersome and inefficient. It could take a skilled molecular biologist up to a few years to generate the tools needed
      - in 2014 US scientists effectively cured a mouse model of a liver disease by altering just one nucleotide of a specific faulty gene.
  - - - Gene therapy is designed to introduce genetic material into cells to compensate for abnormal genes or to make a beneficial protein.
      - If a mutated gene causes a necessary protein to be faulty or missing, gene therapy may be able to introduce a normal copy of the gene to restore the function of the protein.
    - - Besides the promise of treating or curing genetic diseases, manipulating DNA can enable scientists to develop new strains of organisms, including mice that serve as models of human diseases useful for pharmaceutical testing, or sheep that secrete medicines in their milk