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[Editors Note: The source article for this story appears to have been extensively edited replacing 'gene line' with 'germ line'. Nevertheless, and bearing that in mind, it is an interesting article.]
Heritable human genetic modifications pose serious risks, and the therapeutic benefits are tenuous, warn Edward Lanphier, Fyodor Urnov and colleagues.
It is thought that studies involving the use of genome-editing tools to modify the DNA of human embryos will be published shortly. There are grave concerns regarding the ethical and safety implications of this research. There is also fear of the negative impact it could have on important work involving the use of genome-editing techniques in somatic (non-reproductive) cells.
In our view, genome editing in human embryos using current technologies could have unpredictable effects on future generations. This makes it dangerous and ethically unacceptable. Such research could be exploited for non-therapeutic modifications. We are concerned that a public outcry about such an ethical breach could hinder a promising area of therapeutic development, namely making genetic changes that cannot be inherited.
http://www.nature.com/news/don-t-edit-the-human-germ-line-1.17111
Would you agree with this assessment? Should this technology be regulated? Once the technique is known, how can we control/monitor what scientists do with this technology?
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 17 2015, @07:06PM
Remember the arsenic resistance seen in Argentinian tribes? That would go over well in Bangladesh, where people are dying of arsenic poisoning.
High altitude tolerance from Tibet and Peru (both types!) would be pretty sweet. It probably helps even in less-extreme places like Colorado.
The heart disease resistance found in some Italians would be nice to have. Heart disease is a big killer.
If we don't mind swiping DNA from animals, note that the naked mole rat can heal without scars. Wouldn't that be wonderful to have?
(Score: 2) by TLA on Tuesday March 17 2015, @07:43PM
Taking your examples in order:
Arsenic resistance is due to continuous exposure to small amounts of the material. Much smaller amounts than those say in Bangladesh are being exposed to in their drinking water. The body produces proteins called metallothioneins, which are used to remove a variety of metals from your body including lead and arsenic. By slowly introducing arsenic, your body will increase metallothionein production to compensate. There is however not just a fine line between therapeutic dosing and toxicity, there is also the increased risk of cancer with the accumulation of these proteins.
Altitude tolerance is an individual adjustment to the environment, like prebreathing before a deep dive. Endurance athletes have been known to pretrain at altitude to increase the number and concentration of red blood cells in their plasma, extract a litre and refrigerate it, injecting it just before an event to increase performance by increasing their ability to absorb oxygen. While totally illegal, blood doping, as it's known, is extremely difficult to detect.
Heart disease resistance is largely down to diet. Italians from the South of the country are particularly long lived because their staple oil comes from the olive tree - which is almost a symbiotic match for humans, behind hemp.
The best way to keep your body in top shape and to avoid the scarring that goes with paper cuts is to eat right, avoid the shit they put in so-called food (it's not food, it's just a soup of useless and even harmful chemicals! Especially so-called preservatives, mould suppressants, and artificial sweeteners!), and just remember the golden rule about a calorie controlled diet: if you burn more calories than you take in, you WILL lose weight! Simple math!
Excuse me, I think I need to reboot my horse. - NCommander
(Score: 3, Informative) by wonkey_monkey on Tuesday March 17 2015, @08:32PM
Altitude tolerance is an individual adjustment to the environment
Not exclusively [wikipedia.org]
systemd is Roko's Basilisk
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday March 18 2015, @12:53AM
The arsenic resistance research showed up last week I think, either on soylentnews.org or the other site. There is a 10x difference due to DNA.
People from Peru and Tibet have altitude resistance that the rest of us can never hope to achieve. There are numerous DNA differences that have been associated with this. An interesting fact is that many of them are placenta-related. This isn't about athletes. It's about a community living their lives at high altitude, including reproduction.
The heart disease resistance was covered on the other site some years back. It's not olive oil. It's DNA. The trait can be traced through families, and you either have it or you don't. It can be tested for. If I recall right, these people live in more northern Italy. They eat a horrid diet actually, with lots of cured meat.
(and yes, naked mole rats have non-human DNA)
(Score: 2) by Grishnakh on Tuesday March 17 2015, @09:49PM
The other responder went into more detail, but the basic problem with these things is that, as with most things, they're compromises (at least in things that are genetically determined). People with these adaptations may have advantages in certain situations, but those adaptations probably come with downsides, such as higher incidences of cancer etc. In short, there's no such thing as a free lunch.