As a matter of ethical concern, some individual’s miss-use the value of germ line gene therapy since they neglect its essential meaning of curing disease condition and hence they use it on in trying to enhance their human trait (Franki & Chapman, 2000, p. 41) Some individuals, who are born naturally short due to inheritance of short genes from their parents, decide to undergo gene therapy which will make them to increase their height.
In ethics this should not be allowed since individuals will result to excessive use of the therapy which can alter their physical, psychological or mental growth either positively or negatively (Gilbert 1998). The idea of therapy should not be accepted if the purpose of carrying out therapy is not meant to cure a disease condition. Germ line gene therapy for enhancing human traits which even when left alone they can develop. Philosophical consideration In philosophical consideration manipulation of human gene is not acceptable since it involves changing God’s creation.
But through estimation of risks that individuals face as a result of unwanted or poor gene formation they claim that the act should be made acceptable since it’s meant to save life and improve the well being of unborn individuals. Ethical issues are meant to safeguard the life of unborn since they do not make their own decisions but instead these decisions are made for them by their parent. (Resnik, 1994, p. 29)Therefore, since life begins at conception the decision made should be for the benefit of the child and physicians should ensure that accurate procedures are carried on.
General consideration and point of view. Development of germ line gene therapy should be for the benefit of those who are involved in it. Some unborn children usually a small percentage of about two suffers from genetic disorder which can be reduced when germ cells undergo therapy which requires the defective cells to be replaced by un defecting cells which reduces the risk of children inheriting this form of condition children can also acquire miserable diseases from their parents which can be reduced by the process of gene therapy. (Watson, et al., 1997, p. 1031)
The action should be legalized and accepted so that the life of many individuals who cold die as a result of disease condition or inherit permanent disability from their parents can hence be reduced. Use of therapy can be the only way genetic diseases can be prevented since they are not curable and can be passed to subsequent generations if they are not controlled. To save the future generation of those individuals who are known to have a history of genetic disease, then therapy is the only solution. (Krimsky & Shorret, 2005, p. 235)
Benefits that are experienced from operation are experienced in subsequent generations since they eliminate poor traits and this hence change the future generations. This si quite useful since a sick couple can give birth to a healthy individual since the cells will undergo therapy before they form an embryo. Another aspect is the principle of liberty, most of the people who do not get any benefit from the technology are not supposed to curtail minority’s interest while trying to come up with genetic disease cure without first knowing the cause of disease.
Therefore, individuals should not base this assumption on those individuals who did not succeed to see the bad aspect of ethical values of germ line gene therapy. Ecologically, germ line gene therapy can result to evolution when a number of genes are pooled together (Ebbesen & Jensen, 2006, p. 9). These genes when they are pooled together can result to development of new characteristics in an individual who are not portrayed in the parent but they develop in offspring and this can be passed to consecutive generation. This changes generic characteristics from parents to offspring.
This can result to weakening the existing genes which are not intended to be interfered with. This can hence lead to loss of some important gene characteristics such as loss of heterozygote which was not initially realized. Genes which are as a result of therapy are fully modified which can result to new traits in an individual. Therapy is of ethical concern when its carried out in a proper manner since it ensures that human genome which can be used for engines purposes are engineered and this has been viewed as a problem with this technology (Adams, 2004, p.164).
Germ line gene therapy can be used for engine purposes which is the major problem in most of the western world and other developing countries. This is when individuals vastly use these germ cells to boost their already existing genes so that they can be advanced such as changing genes of individual to increase intelligence level and other physical characteristics so that their children can have those traits that they desire (Chapman, 1999, p. 69).
Eugenic procedures are mainly offered to those who can afford them since they are not meant for curing diseases but are for pleasure. These procedures have been greatly opposed by many individuals since they have a lot of weight in discrimination and social inequality within the society since there are those people who would desire to change their characteristics but financially they are not capable which hence result to discrimination. (Fletcher & Anderson, 1992, p. 29)