Genetic Engineering for Treatment and Cure of Genetic

Diseases

By: Livy Bartels

6th Period, Science

Mrs. Morgan

Basic Principles of GeneticsHow are traits

controlled by dominant and recessive alleles?

Take the trait height in plants. Tall is dominant, small is recessive. You inherit 2 genes, one from each parent. You can either inherit TT, Tt, or tt, which are in order, Tall purebred, Tall hybrid, and small. Depending upon which allele combination you get, you receive different traits.

Basic Principles of Genetics

How are traits controlled with co-dominant alleles?

Traits are then ‘shared’ or you will show a mix of traits. Let’s say you were a calf, and you had two co-dominant alleles – one for red, one for white. You would turn out roan because you wouldn’t have a dominant allele. If you looked closely, you would have white and red hairs, but you would appear roan.

Basic Principles of Genetics

Explain how the alleles of two parents combine to express traits in offspring?

The alleles of parent combine to express traits in offspring because their sex cells went through meiosis, and therefore have half the number of chromosomes they should have. When the two sides of DNA (Chromosomes) combine, called fertilization, then the alleles have combined and the offspring have unique traits each to their own.

Human Genome Project

When did the project start and how did scientists hope to use this information (what were the goals in the beginning)?

Started in 1990 between DOE and NIH. (US Department of Energy and National Institutes of Health) Ended early, in 2003, but was supposed to end 2005. They wanted to map out the human genome, with all of the genes (About 100,000) that make the human body work, function. Also, they would be able to treat diseases and diagnose patients with this information.

Human Genome ProjectWhat are the implications of

the Human Genome project in regards to Ethical, legal and Social implications (address each of these in your explanation)

This means that legally speaking, people can’t turn you away a job, or fire you if you already have one.

Socially it means that if they find cures, people can live better lives by not having to always beware of snide comments or hurtful acts. Also they won’t have the threat of death or pain over them any longer. Socially it also implies that people would be able to change their looks so that they are no longer in the minority.

Ethically it mixes with lots of people’s beliefs, as to religion or right. If your child is going to be born with AIDS or Down Syndrome you have a moral right to fix it. Or should you let the child be, as your god(s) created it?

Human Genome Project

How did the human genome project change current laws such as GINA (Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008)

Current law, GINA, makes sure insurance companies cannot tell you that you that you can’t have insurance due to genetic disorders. Also the 2000 Executive Order ensures you cannot be turned away for a job just because of genetic disorders. Also, the Human Cloning Prohibition Act of 2001, passed by the House of Representatives, ensured that humans are not allowed to be cloned.

Genetic Disorders

Compare and contrast the three different types of genetic disorders:1.    single gene disorder – discover which gene has been mutated and how. One

gene is affected.2.    chromosome abnormalities – some break off, or are lost, or grow weirdly.3.    multifactorial disorders – Combination of environment and mutation.They are similar in the way that they are all disorders, but they differ on that which they all have different genetic

factors affected, or different factors that affect the disorder, whether it is the environment, genes, or chromosomes.

Genetic Disorders

How can genetic counseling help perspective parents who have a genetic disorder regarding future children?

They can have germ cell genetic counseling in which their genes in sex cells will be altered and therefore their children’s genes are altered, eliminating that which you wish to eliminate, such as a genetic disorder. Genetic Counseling tells the parents how to deal with the disorder and help the child through their life.

Genetic Disorders

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are needed to see this picture.

How are karyotypes used to predict genetic disorders?They can see the karyotypes, or pictures, of your chromosomes and DNA

and if there is one too many, a broken one, or a mutated gene, they can see you have a genetic disorder.

#1) Pro: Genetic Engineering for Curing Diseases

Cures can be found, and the diseases will be eliminated. This way no one will suffer anymore from these horrors. If a pregnant woman’s fetus has a genetic disorder, then they can fix that before the child is born. Dr. Katarina Eisinger, OB/GYN states, “If a disease is life threatening, will make you die early, cause you pain and discomfort, then it should be prevented, if possible, so that you can have a better life.” If your child will have cystic fibrosis, you would be able to stop and prevent them from having this problem in their life, which will revolve around their clogged lungs and mucus-coated air tubes. The line of heredity through families for illness can be altered and the child will not have the disease. "Diabetes Monitor - Cystic Fibrosis." Diabetes Monitor - Your Best Online Resource for Diabetes News, Research, and Supplies. Web. 23 Mar. 2011. <http://www.diabetesmonitor.com/learning-center/other-complications/cystic-fibrosis.htm>.

Example of a pedigree for Cystic Fibrosis.

#2) Pro: Medication and Genetic Engineering

They can create better medications. These are able to combat genetic diseases and illness so the symptoms are less, or get rid of the sickness. They want to created fruits and hormones that will fix a lot of disorders. Parents who have genetic disorders can take medication to prevent their child from getting the disorders. This is called gene therapy. They are also able to test your drug, or medication capacity, by seeing your genetic code. "The next step is to achieve higher doses of vaccines in plants, ensure that the human immune system recognizes the vaccine and develop vaccine-producing banana trees, which take three years to grow. If all goes well,” says Yasmin Thanavala (of the Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, New York), “banana vaccines may be ready to peel in five years.”

#3) Pro: Altering the VectorsIn Africa malaria has gotten so bad scientists are thinking of altering the vectors,

mosquitoes, to prevent diseases. "I would have to see an example of modified mosquitoes reducing malaria in another village before I believe this claim of the foreign organization. In agriculture, you have to see something before you believe it. " (Excerpt from an interview with a 72-year-old man in Tienfala) However, many are willing to try. "If you want to effectively stop the spreading of the malaria parasite, you need mosquitoes that are one hundred percent resistant to it. If a single parasite slips through and infects a human, the whole approach will be doomed to fail," said Michael Riehle, who led the scientists in creating the 100% malaria-free mosquito. If this happens, malaria rates in Africa will drop dramatically. Less people will die each year, and maybe millions of lives will be saved.

#4) Pro: Saving Money If you treat the disease once

and it’s gone, then you don’t have to come back for surgeries and check-ups, or have risk of other resulting problems. And even better – if you never have the disease at all, you never pay for it. Dr. Matthew N. Bartels, Pulmonary Rehabilitation doctor, states, “You can treat genetic conditions, then you can save money by not having to do transplants or have other expensive medical procedures.” For example – sickle cell anemia. It will eventually result in you having to have lung transplants and joint surgeries, when you may not need them if you didn’t have the disease.

• Rank Countries Amount

• # 1 United States: 477 deaths

• # 2 Brazil: 219 deaths

• # 3 Dominican Republic: 76 deaths

• # 4 Venezuela: 40 deaths

• # 5 Colombia: 34 deaths

• # 6 Cuba: 30 deaths Chart for Sickle Cell Anemia• # 7 Panama: 29 deaths

• # 8 Bahrain: 14 deaths

• = 9 Mexico: 6 deaths

• = 9 Canada: 6 deaths

• = 11 Kuwait: 5 deaths

• = 11 Germany: 5 deaths

• = 13 Puerto Rico: 4 deaths

• = 13 Bahamas, The: 4 deaths

• = 13 Nicaragua: 4 deaths

• = 16 Argentina: 3 deaths

• = 16 Costa Rica: 3 deaths

• = 16 Uruguay: 3 deaths

• = 19 Netherlands: 2 deaths

• = 19 Sweden: 2 deaths • = 19 Ecuador: 2 deaths (

http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/mor_sic_cel_dis-mortality-sickle-cell-disorders)

• = 22 Poland: 1 deaths

• = 22 Slovakia: 1 deaths

• = 22 Norway: 1 deaths

• = 22 Australia: 1 deaths

• = 22 Spain: 1 deaths

• = 22 Barbados: 1 deaths

• = 22 Korea, South: 1 deaths

• = 22 Egypt: 1 deaths

• = 22 Luxembourg: 1 deaths

• = 22 El Salvador: 1 deaths

• = 22 Peru: 1 deaths

• = 22 Finland: 1 deaths

• = 22 South Africa: 1 deaths

• = 22 Israel: 1 deaths

• = 22 United Kingdom: 1 deaths

• Total: 983 deaths

• Weighted average: 27.3 deaths

Scientific Advancements in Cloning

• 1800 - Hans Dreich cloned sea urchins

• 1902 - Hans Spemman spliced apart a two celled salamander egg with his 2-month old son’s hair. These two salamanders grew to be identical, also clones.

• Nov. 1951 - A team of scientists in Philadelphia cloned a frog’s embryo – they replaced the nucleus in the second and presto! Cloned.

• 1986 – Two teams, both across the globe from each other, cloned mammals – one a sheep’s embryo, the other a cow’s embryo.

• 1986 – 227 tries, and Dolly the lamb was born – an exact clone of frozen mammary cell.

• Oct. 3, 1997 – Cumulina, a mouse, was cloned in Honolulu using nuclear cloning. They cloned until they had 50 mice, all identical. Their rate for cloning was better than Dolly’s, a 50:1, opposed to Dolly’s 227:1.

• 2011 - A family wishes to have their dog cloned. They are spending millions. Will it work?

Related Controversial Issues

Designer Babies – Creating how your baby looks, its muscle capacity, and its intelligence.

Genetically Modified Food – from genetically created organisms. Ex. Golden Rice

Cloning – Produce a genetic twin via DNA injection.

ConclusionIn conclusion, I am for Genetic Engineering in

Diseases. Millions of people will then survive – just look at the chart on sickle cell anemia! And you say, Won’t that increase population? Won’t that have overpopulation? Maybe not. There are still other causes of death, and everyone in the world wants to live; let’s give them that opportunity. Imagine if someday, your child was born, and you had the choice to leave it in pain with disease or to cure the child and help it have a better life. I think I know what I’d choose. Because I certainly wouldn’t want to live that way.

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