There is a fine line that one may walk when dealing with altering genes in human beings. On one hand, it can be very useful in terms of discovering what genes cause what disorders and what may be done to prevent it. Though, on the other hand, we see events such as the Nazi eugenics program. This is not to say that this extreme would happen, it’s safe to say that it won’t, though history does have a habit of repeating itself. And like many other ideas that appeared beneficial and groundbreaking on the surface (such as communism), they become poorly executed and reveal an ugly face.
During WWII, Hitler enacted a eugenics program that primarily used twins, most of them children, as guinea pigs in horrifying genetic experiments. Eugenics is the…show more content… I believe that gene therapy is a scientific endeavour worth the pursuit. If there is a possibility that gene therapy could lead to a cure for cancer, alzheimer’s, parkinson’s, and many other disorders, I think it’s worth the effort. There are two types of gene therapy: somatic cell therapy and germline therapy. With somatic cell therapy, the faulty genes are replaced with the correct genes allowing the cell to produce the necessary proteins that will eliminate the gene causing the disease. Though, this gene will not be passed down to the next generation; with germline therapy, the gene may be passed down. According to a study published by Thomas Wirth and Seppo Ylä-Herttuala, 65% of gene therapy clinical trials have been used to address cancer treatments, 8% went towards cardiovascular diseases, 8% to monogenic diseases, 8% for infectious diseases, 3% for ocular diseases, and 1% for neurological diseases. If gene therapy provides even a chance for someone with a disease to live a normal life, then I believe that alone far outweighs the hiccups along the way. It would improve the lives of all those who’ve experienced pain due to these diseases, and the loved ones whose lives have been affected by cancer (like myself and many others), alzheimer’s, parkinson’s,
