Designing Our Descendants: The Promises and Perils of Genetic Modifications

by Audrey R. Chapman (Editor), Mark S. Frankel (Editor)

Overview

The Human Genome Project, discoveries in molecular biology, and new reproductive technologies have advanced our understanding of how genetic science may be used to treat persons with genetic disorders. Greater knowledge may also make possible genetic interventions to "enhance" normal human characteristics, such as height, hair or eye color, strength, or memory, as well as the transmittal of such modifications to future generations. The prospect of inheritable genetic modifications, or IGMs, whether for therapeutic or enhancement purposes, raises complex scientific, ethical, and regulatory issues.

Designing Our Descendants presents twenty essays by physicians, scientists, philosophers, theologians, lawyers, and policy analysts addressing these issues from diverse perspectives. In three sections, the authors discuss the short- and long-term scientific feasibility of IGM technology; ethical and religious issues related to safety, justice, morality, reproductive rights, and enhancement; and regulatory issues including the necessity of public input and oversight and the influence of commercialization. Their goal is to open a dialogue engaging not only scholars and scientists but also government officials and concerned citizens. The authors conclude that while IGM cannot be carried out safely and responsibly on humans utilizing current methods, it is important to begin public discussion now to determine whether, and if so how, to proceed.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780801881299
Publisher:	Johns Hopkins University Press
Publication date:	12/01/2004
Series:	Bioethics
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	384
File size:	2 MB
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Audrey R. Chapman is director of the Science and Human Rights Program and senior associate for ethics in the Dialogue on Science, Ethics, and Religion at the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Mark S. Frankel is the director of the Scientific Freedom, Responsibility, and Law Program at American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Audrey R. Chapman is a professor of community medicine and Healey Chair in Medical Humanities and Bioethics at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine.
Mark S. Frankel is the director of the Scientific Freedom, Responsibility, and Law Program at American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Table of Contents

Part I: Introduction
1. Framing the Issues
2. Germ-Line Dancing: Definitional Considerations for Policy Makers
Part II: Scientific Considerations
3. Approaches to Gene Tranfer to the Mammalian Germ Line
4. Scientific Methodologies to Facilitate Inheritable Genetic Modifcations in Humans
5. Germ-Line Modification in Clinical Medicine: Is There a Case for Intentional or Unintended Germ-Line Changes?
6. Gene Repair, Genomics, and Human Germ-Line Modification
7. Germ-Line Gene Therapy: CanWe Do It, Do We Need It, Where Do We Start, and Where Might It Lead?

What People are Saying About This

Eric M. Meslin

An original and important contribution to the bioethics, genetics, and public policy literature by an impressive group of scholars from across the disciplines.

— Eric M. Meslin, Indiana University

Thomas H. Murray

This is the product of a multi-year effort at mutual enlightenment and interdisciplinary analysis, not merely a compilation of individually written papers. It should become the leading volume on human genetic modification.

— Thomas H. Murray, President, The Hastings Center

From the Publisher

This is the product of a multi-year effort at mutual enlightenment and interdisciplinary analysis, not merely a compilation of individually written papers. It should become the leading volume on human genetic modification.
—Thomas H. Murray, President, The Hastings Center

An original and important contribution to the bioethics, genetics, and public policy literature by an impressive group of scholars from across the disciplines.
—Eric M. Meslin, Indiana University

Editorial Reviews

With so much heat and little light often shed on the debates around developments in human genetic engineering, this collection of 20 essays is much overdue, and tremendously informative.
—Conscience

Essential reading for any serious student of either germline gene therapy, or, as the authors have chosen to expand the category, 'inheritable genetic modification' (IGM).
—Henry T. Greely, JD, Journal of the American Medical Association

The text provides an up-to-date critical analysis of the possible impact of future developments in inheritable genetic modification . . . The book provides perspectives from a wide range of academic disciplines—scientific, sociological, philosophical, theological, law and policy . . . It is both informative and very scholarly, recommended as a text for professionals in bioethics, genetics policy and a valuable source book for research.
—Niall Scott, New Genetics and Society

From the Publisher

Essential reading for any serious student of either germline gene therapy, or, as the authors have chosen to expand the category, 'inheritable genetic modification' (IGM).

Journal of the American Medical Association - Henry T. Greely

The text provides an up-to-date critical analysis of the possible impact of future developments in inheritable genetic modification . . . The book provides perspectives from a wide range of academic disciplines—scientific, sociological, philosophical, theological, law and policy . . . It is both informative and very scholarly, recommended as a text for professionals in bioethics, genetics policy and a valuable source book for research.

New Genetics and Society - Niall Scott

With so much heat and little light often shed on the debates around developments in human genetic engineering, this collection of 20 essays is much overdue, and tremendously informative.

Conscience Renï