20
Ethical Questions
1. Are patients better off with no therapy rather than suffer through that which
is often costly and only somewhat effective?
2. If genetic screening reveals a chance for parents to pass on mutant genes to a child,
then should those parents go ahead and have offspring?
3. Though DNA fingerprinting is enough to prove someone innocent of a crime, should it be
enough to prove someone guilty?
4. Should the results of a person's genetic profile or possible genetic disorders be
revealed to the public?
5. Should doctor-patient confidentiality be put aside when someone applies to a company
for life insurance?
6. With the high cost of health care, should patients be made to stay in the hospital to
properly screen for genetic disorders?
7. If genetic screening shows that a fetus will be born with cystic fibrosis or some other
genetic disorder, should it be aborted before birth or allowed to live?
8. If a particular sex is predisposed to a genetic disorder or disease, then should
genetic screening be used to decide if a fetus should be terminated so that it cannot be a
potential sufferer or carrier ?
9. Should a person at risk for a genetic disorder have preventive surgery or take their
chances without it?
10. Should people be exposed to treatment for one genetic disorder without doctors testing
to see if a patient can contract something else as a result of the treatment?
11. Should new genetic screening technology be regulated by government or a world council
rather than the business community?
12. How will new DNA Technology be made available to anyone other than the upper class, as
it can be very expensive?
13. Will the mapping of genes on a genome come in time to really benefit mankind, or
should be begin to pursue other avenues of research?
14. Is it fair to disclose info.about tests, their purposes,
limitations, or possible outcomes before results are given?
15. Is it right to require genetic testing for employment?
16. As genetically impaired offspring are released into society, it's likely that a good
many of them will grow and have more offspring themselves. Therefore, is the general
poplulace likely to see a great deal more genetically impaired people in the future?
17. Are all mutations detected by screening malignant?
18. Many genetic advances in areas of genetic research are made with the use of animal
subjects. Is this the best and safest form of research?
19. In this country, African-Americans show a strong propensity to develop the genetic
disorder sickle cell anemia. Should this be a basis for denying them health care and other
insurance benefits?
20. What is the ultimate goal of this extensive DNA
research and genetic screening, and why is not a cure all panacea, as some feel? |
Sources
and Examples
1. A recent survey for 351 diseases caused by single gene mutations showed that the
patient's lifespan was improved by only 15%.
2. Ex. 9% of women who inherit one mutant copy of gene BRCA1 have a 60% chance of having
breast cancer by age 50, and an 82% chance of developing it by age 70. In contrast, women
who inherit 2 normal genes are 2% and 7%, respectively. Pg. 390 Life: The Science of
Biology.
3. Two people could have the same DNA patterns, since what is being
tested is just a small sample of the genome. More than this is needed to stand up in
court. P. 370 Life: The Science of Biology.
4. The many linkages of genetic abnormalities, from manic depression to schizophrenia, has
led to the potential for screening and then social manipulation of those at risk. P. 397
Life: The Science of Biology
5. People who test positive for genetic abnormalities, from cancer to
hypercholesterolemia, might be denied employment or health insurance. P. 397 Life: The
Science of Biology.
6. Possibly. Ex. PKU may not show up for days in infants, and many mothers leave the
hospital early to keep costs low. By the time the medical staff is able to contact them,
considerable brain damage may already have been done. P. 384 Life: The Science of Biology
7. Babies born with cystic fibrosis, FH, etc. die in their early 20's
and 30's. P. 376
8. Ex. It is known that hemophilia exists on the Y chromosome, and therefore transmitted
by females. If genetic screening shows that a female fetus is a carrier, should that baby
be terminated so that the disease won't spread to future generations?
9. Ex. A person who inherits mutated copies of the tumor-suppressor genes involved in
colon cancer normally would have a high chance of developing this tumor by age 40.
Surgical removal of the colon would prevent this from happening. P. 390 Life: The Science
of Biology.
10. Before doctors fully understood AIDS, many hemophiliacs were given HIV-positive blood,
and as a result, they contracted the virus.
P. 392 Life: The Science of Biology.
11. The Affymetrix company is suing Incyte Pharmaceutical Inc. and Synteni Inc. for patent
infringement, while also filing suit against Hyseq company. With companies large and small
fighting over the DNA chip technology, it could be years before the technology
becomes available. Science Magazine Online "Will Patent Fights Hold DNA Chips
Hostage?" www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/282/5388/397
12. Affymetrix chips run between $45.00 and $850.00, not to mention fluidic stations,
which can cost more than $100,000.
www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/282/5388/397
13. The DNA of a molecule that is 50 million base pairs long cannot be sequenced in that
form; only 500 base pairs at a time can be sequenced. P. 394 Life: The Science of Biology.
14. For info. see www.faseb.org/genetics/acmg/pol-17.htm
15. For info, see www.acoem.org/pao\prguid/papers/gensc.htm
16. Doubtful. Ex. PKU only affects 1 out of
every 12,000 newborns. Polymorphism only affects about 1% of the population, and even then
it DOES NOT necessarily mean disease. P. 375 Chapter 17 Life: The Science of Biology.
17. No. Ex. Analysis of the phenylaline hydroxylase protein in
different people often showed variations that have no functional
signifigance, nor any harmful effects. P. 375 Chapter 17 Life: The Science of Biology.
18. Possibly. Ex. Research with animals lead to advances with
recombinant DNA, which enabled researchers to develop synthetic insulin for certain types
of diabetes patients. However, the process of purifying the insulin was long and tedious,
and some of the patients' immune systems rejected the insulin proteins violently.
19. No, because though blacks show a propensity to develop sickle cell, it is still not a
very common occurrence. Only 1 in 655 will be affected by it. P. 376 Life: The Science of
Biology Table 17.1.
20. We are individuals, not clones. Each of us, though we share
many similarities, have different genetic makeups; with all the
variables in one's life (enviornment, heredity, etc.) there is no
accurate way to predict how vulnerable or how resistant a person is to a myriad of genetic
flaws or imperfections. So the real motive for such extensive research in genetics and DNA
may be that, for all our great advances and knowledge, we are still only left with a few
clues as to why God and nature have conspired to make us so different, and in many way, so
very much the same. |
