2017/05/04

Forget about designer babies - You can screen for genetic diseases but not for traits

Forget about designer babies - You can screen for genetic diseases but not for traits


Excerpt: "Don't expect designer babies any time soon—but a major new ethics report leaves open the possibility of one day altering human heredity to fight genetic diseases, with stringent oversight, using new tools that precisely edit genes inside living cells.

What's called genome editing already is transforming biological research, and being used to develop treatments for patients struggling with a range of diseases.

The science is nowhere near ready for a huge next step that raises ethical questions—altering sperm, eggs or embryos so that babies don't inherit a disease that runs in the family, says a report Tuesday from the National Academy of Sciences and National Academy of Medicine.



But if scientists learn how to safely pass alterations of the genetic code to future generations, the panel said "germline" editing could be attempted under strict criteria, including that it targets a serious disease with no reasonable alternative and is conducted under rigorous oversight."

https://www.geneticliteracyproject.org/2017/05/03/mendel-meets-tinder-genepeeks-previde-screen-maps-babies-genetic-risks-conception/#.WQpOZYfLz_B.twitter

Excerpt: "Another limitation of gene variant databases such as ClinVar is the confusing “variants of uncertain significance” (VUS) that tell a patient little more than that yes, your gene variant isn’t the “normal” one, but no, it hasn’t been associated with symptoms. Yet. VUS are often of unknown impact because not enough cases have been reported to statistically establish a mutation-disease connection. And that’s where GenePeeks’s deeper dive comes in. “We don’t wait for a variant to show up in a patient, but validate our analysis on a gene-by-gene basis” considering the effect on the protein, Silver said."

My comment: Gene sequences don't determine heritable traits. That's why by modifying the gene sequences only, scientists can't affect human characteristics. Every cell inside you is having the exact same gene sequences. For successful cellular differentiation and for building thousands of different cell types there are other forms of biological information in the cell. This type of information is called epigenetic control of gene expression. Genetic mutations never lead to evolution or adaptation. They cause genetic degradation, disorders and diseases. Modern science is aware of 200,000 disease causing genetic mutations in the human DNA. 10,000 new genetic defects are discovered every year.

http://www.nature.com/news/past-5-000-years-prolific-for-changes-to-human-genome-1.11912#/b3


Excerpt: "Of 1.15 million single-nucleotide variants found among more than 15,000 protein-encoding genes, 73% in arose the past 5,000 years, the researchers report."

My comment: All data points to biblical creation. Don't get lost.