Genetic Engineering: The History of Gene Therapy Essay -- Expository E

The History of Gene Therapy In today’s society, the demand for perfection is strong. Imagine the possibility that you could choose the traits your child would possess. As technology increases, eventually humans could be able to create the ‘perfect’ child, with a ‘perfect’ behavior by replacing one gene with another. Vision the possibility that diseased or mutated genes could be replaced, ridding the world of hereditary diseases. In order to do this, technology must be increased in the area of gene therapy. Gene therapy has come a long way in its short existence. Genetic enhancement of humans may someday be possible, following the successful completion of the Human Genome Project. According to an article in New Statesman (v. 127) by Caroline Daniel, the Human Genome Project is an ‘international scientific collaboration’. The project was started in 1990. More than two billion Pounds, was funded by the European public. The United States is the main country in favor of this research. Organizations such as the National Institute of health and the US Department of Energy are among those in favor. Though this research might sound promising and exciting, much more needs to be learned about genes and the composition of DNA. DNA is a double helix with nearly three billion chemical letters of genetic text, located in more than one hundred thousand different genes. The difficult part is not identifying each individual gene, but rather to figure out how each gene works, their reactions to disease and response to the environment. The Human Genome Project’s goal is to sequence every human gene before the year 2005, and surprisingly it is right on schedule. In late 1997 50,000 genes had been mapped. Originally, the th... ...t all. In closing, though the science of gene therapy has only been around for just more than a decade much progress has been made. Through this research, helpful information about genes and diseases, what links them, and how to cure them, is being uncovered. As long as gene therapy is used solely for the purpose of curing disease, or helping the overall health of mankind, then I am not against it. This is a new technology that someday could help extend the average life span of human beings. Man-kind could really benefit from this research. As the days pass, we are making progress in this field. Only time can tell when genetic disorders will be unheard of. Works Cited Adelman, Ken. â€Å"Changing who we are.† Washingtonian v. 35 no. 11 (2000): 25-28. Daniel, Caroline. â€Å"Human Genetics: the dinner-party guide.† New Statesman v. 127 (1998): page 30.