THE GIFT OF LIFE— Applications of Reproductive Technology

JOURNAL QUESTION: Imagine that you are married and in your late 30’s. You are finally pregnant with your first child but are worried about possible birth defects (Downs Syndrome, etc.). What would you do if you found out you were going to give birth to a seriously mentally challenged child? Or would you want to even find out?

PREIMPLANTATION DIAGNOSIS This is the process of doing a genetic diagnosis of embryos in vitro. This is used to ensure that embryos are “free from defects” or have the “desired sex” “It is forgotten that sick and disabled people are not some separate category of humanity.” (Dignitatis Personae #22)

GENE THERAPY The goal of this is to apply genetic engineering to human beings Somatic cell gene therapy Germ line cell therapy Possible effects: Social stigma for those who lack certain qualities What is acceptable is culturally dependent

CLONING This all began with “Dolly,” the genetically cloned sheep by Dr. Ian Wilmut in 1997 Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer: Taking the nucleus of body cell of an adult sheep and putting it into an embryo in vitro Can be used for medical therapy or reproduction Can lead to “biological slavery” (DP #29)

CURRENT LEGISLATION… Cal. Health & Safety Code, ��24185 to 24187 (Approved 1997, made permanent 2002) Bans efforts to create a human being by utilizing somatic cell nuclear transfer "for the purpose of, or to implant, the resulting product to initiate a pregnancy that could result in the birth of a human being." Also bans "human reproductive cloning," defined as "the creation of a human fetus that is substantially genetically identical to a previously born human being." Cal. Health & Safety Code, �125115 (Enacted 2002) Establishes a state policy that "research involving the derivation and use of human embryonic stem cells, human embryonic germ cells, and human adult stem cells from any source, including somatic cell nuclear transplantation, shall be permitted." This new law may be designed to supercede the older law against creating a cloned fetus. "Embryonic germ cells" are obtained from 8-week-old fetuses, while adult stem cells are obtained from born children.