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What He Jiankui et al., 2018 said was an important ethical principle. |
What He Jiankui claims he did by using CRISPR to knock out a receptor for the HIV virus in human embryo. |
Was this inconsistency not just hypocrisy, but an ethics violation? |
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1. Mercy for families in need. A broken gene, infertility, or a preventable disease should not extinguish life or undermine a loving couple's union. |
The potential for getting HIV, a generally preventable illness, has no bearing on specifically genetic illnesses. |
No. However, the experimentation done required considerable money, time, and effort which could have been used on curative work. |
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2. Only for serious disease, never for vanity. Gene surgery is a serious medical procedure that should never be used for aesthetics, enhancement, or sex selection purposes -- or in any way that would compromise a child's welfare, joy, or free will. No one has a right to determine a child's genetics except to prevent disease. Gene surgery exposes a child to potential safety risks that can be permanent. Performing gene surgery is only permissible when the risks of the procedure arc outweighcd by a serious medical need.
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Becoming resistant to a disease like HIV is a plus and is not just an aesthetic vanity, yet this counts as an enhancement which comes with genuine risk of unknown side effects due to a transmissible mutation of a cell’s receptor.
Doctor He’s institutional review board, if there was one involved, seriously needs remedial education. |
Yes. |
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3. Respect a child's autonomy. A life is more than our physical body and its DNA. After gene surgery, a child has equal rights to live life freely, to choose his or her occupation, and to privacy. No obligations exist to to his or her parents or any organization, including paying for the procedure.
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No child can give informed consent as an embryo. Parental consent can only go so far. |
Yes. |
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4. Genes do not define you. Our DNA does not predetermine our purpose or what we could achieve. We flourish from our own hard work, nutrition, and support from society and our loved ones. Whatever our genes may be, we are equal in dignity and potential. |
Except for increased scrutiny, there seems to be no compromise of rights here. No genetically subservient underclass or supersoldier creation is seen here. |
No. |
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5. Everyone deserves freedom from genetic disease. Wealth should not determine health. Organizations developing genetic cures have a deep moral obligation to serve families of every background. |
Infertility clinics that charge large fees not covered by medical insurance already abound. We’ll have to see how this works out. |
No. |
References: https://www.wired.com/story/he-jiankui-crispr-babies-bucked-own-ethics-policy/
https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/crispr.2018.0051
