Cracking the Code of Life

Urstruely,

Post#40

Your points (dilemmas) are well taken.

ANY new technology has both benefitted mankind & , at the same time cause untold hardship. Why should genetics be any different?

Lets take your specialty, the auto industry. There is no question that the motor car has benefitted mankind. But it also the cause of 100s & 1000s of auto related deaths each year. Not to mention the great environmental damage in terms of air pollution. I`m sure when autos were invented, the horse & buggy manufacturers were shouting about dire consequences mankind could face if the automakers are allowed unlimited manufacture this dangerous machine.

Once a technology is invented, you cannot put ``the genie back in the bottle``. All you can do is regulate how it progresses.

Aim #30

Since you are in genetic research, what are your views on genetic cloning of ``organs of transplantation, like, kidney, liver etc.

On a little different side, apart from ethics, what can prevent the cloning of human, which I think is not difficult theoretically.

Dear Asad!

Although I am impressed with the genetic research and and its promises yet I have some reservations. As far as I know the genetic changes are irreversible. Suppose we make some changes in the genetic make up of an embryo to save it from a potential disease in future. What if that ``artificially mutated`` gene triggers a chain reaction of mutations that might result in a freak of the nature. What about the inheritence of the mutations. The process is irreversible.

Another dilema-suppose you ``cure`` an embryo who had a potential to develop a fatal disease in future. Let us suppose that he is expected to die at age 15 (if not cured). What if this mutated embryo turns out to be Hitler revisited. Irreversible damage?

Delima#3- What if parents ask to mutate the embryo to be a super-athlete whereas he was intended to be another Einstien by nature.

Delima#4- What is this technology`s potential for ``Genetic Warfare``. Can a nation infect other with a virus that might trigger an uncontrolled mutation in other nation whereas the former already has a vaccine.

Delima# 5- Suppose in distant future somehow we are able to ``turn-off`` age and ``death gene`` what will be the ecological impact. Where are we gonna live. What will be the purpose of living forever.

I know you are not an ``ethicist`` (please forgive my spellings) but the impact of this discovery on humanity will be immense. Don`t you think as a scientist you must have a clear conscience first.

I am not kidding in my post. Not a long time ago writers like Jules Verne and Huxley used to dream about what is a reality now. So what we are thinking now will shape our destiny in the future. Dont you think we should have a plan.

Regards


PS. Sorry about that little chat with Rsexana; I assure you that it is quite unusual here at chowk. The only thing that is considered normal and usual here is the issue of Kashmir :)

Re: stargazer#37

Dear Simi (stargazer?),

Thanks for the comments regarding this article. I will write you soon on eudora.

Asad

P.S. I cannot follow this repartee about maniacs that `urstruly` and `Rsaxena` seem to be enjoying. Should I consider this a normal `Chowk interactions` phenomenon?

Re: Urstruly #35

``Dont worry we are talking about the same thing. The thing that you have in your mind :) ``

Well, ``the thing`` that`s in my mind has been called a lot of things, including maniac matter...so I try to be careful. haha

Dear Asad,

How are you?? It`s Simi, I just sent out a message on this damn message board, it was much nicer than this one, but I don`t think it got sent. Bummer.

I had to tell you that your article is totally awesome - loved it. You write very truthfully and it`s a great article.

In other news, I live in NY now and I`m in 2nd yr of peds res. It`s coming along.

But it was auch a surprise to find you on chowk!! I`m glad. Surprises like this are always nice.

Great to see that you have found your calling and are enjoying it - that much comes through in your writing. Hope your life is well.

Write me if you have the time

suraiya@eudoramail.com

It would be great to hear from you!

Take care

Simi

Aim #34,

I don`t think money for research grants would be hard to come by. It just depends on whether the rich in Pakistan can share some of their Swiss bank accounts cash. But then, that might be expecting too much from ``indulgence-happy`` Pakistanis.

But seriously, there are enough Pakistani physicians and businessmen here who would be happy to help. I lived in a community in NY where half the Pakistanis were doctors. And all of them were

willing to donate to Pakistan`s cause. The only thing that lacked was organization. I would have done it if I had the time.

Just don`t lose hope. Where there`s a will, there`s a way.

Rsaxena #33

Dont worry we are talking about the same thing. The thing that you have in your mind :)

Re: Scout #32

``Perhaps if Pakistani and Indian doctors like yourself take your knowledge, wealth, and power to your own countries and put it to use there, we have a chance at improving our status``

Believe it or not, I am thinking about doing just that in the long run. And it`s going to be a number of years before I can actually do that I think. Knwoledge I can take back..but `wealth and power` it`s difficult to think about as long as I am a graduate student (and getting a minimal stipend)! I suppose this brings up the issue of the rampant brain drain faced by Pakistan, and how many of us will actually go back to make that difference (however small it may be like you said). When (and if) I go back I`ll probably have to resort to being a physician and not so much a researcher, because human genetics research (which will require a lot of grants) might be difficult to indulge in. But then I`m not too sure about the research environment of the country so if anyone is knowledegable about basic biomedical research in academic centers there then please share it with me.

Re: Urstruly

Maybe we are the maniacs but I had a slightly different definition in my mind. What`s your definition?

Aim #30, ``So does that mean that only the

richer/more developed countries will be able to enjoy completely the fruits of this new science?``

Hasn`t this been the case with every new science?

Third World countries get to it last. Unless they get themselves out of the socioeconomic standstill (or in Pakistan`s case, downhill), no new science will flourish in Third World countries.

Perhaps if Pakistani and Indian doctors like yourself take your knowledge, wealth, and power to your own countries and put it to use there, we have a chance at improving our status.

I plan on doing just that once I graduate and earn

enough dinero (cash) to make a difference in Pakistan. Every little bit will help.

RE: Rsaxena#29

May be WE ARE those maniacs.

Gene therapy will not be a panacea for all ailments. Like some others pointed out it will be able to provide some benefit (or maybe a great deal of benefit depending on the disease), but the impact of the environment (which translates into your diet, lifestyle, habits, etc.) CANNOT be over looked. Likewise, the idea of creating more tolerant human beings, or those with some other such attributes, is far fetched because the environment in which you raise the kid will still have a major impact on physical and spiritual development. In other words, genetic clones of Hitler or Mother Teresa will not necessarily end up with the same attributes. The prospects of human cloning, though far fetched, are certainly scary all the same, hence the need for strict laws against such attempts. But cloning of large animals has been acheived (remember Dolly the sheep?), but does that bring us closer to cloning humans? and for what purpose? This is very much the dark side of the science.

From a more desi perspective, the Third World countries are far from jumping onto the genomics bandwagon. So does that mean that only the richer/more developed countries will be able to enjoy completely the fruits of this new science?

Asad

Re: scout

``I believe human reasoning will prevail in terms of scientific advances. In this day and age, I`m sure we will put human genome mapping to good use.``

Couldn`t agree more. By the time the maniacs figure out how to misuse genome mapping for destruction, we will have manipulated genes enough to keep them from being born :)

scout says

{nameless #25,

Have you been getting lessons from hamidm on sarcastic low level humor?

Not funny.

}

apologies. But was amused for the enthu being shown for the latest in sciences which is often considered the work of the devil satan shaitaan etc.

Article on CNN.com:

Gene therapy for cancer?

Early results promising

August 1, 2000



(CNN) -- Researchers have found

evidence that gene therapy may be an effective cancer treatment. Writing in the journal Nature Medicine, Dr. Fadlo Khuri of the M.D. Anderson

Cancer Center at the University of Texas in Houston reported the results of clinical trials using a genetically engineered adenovirus called ONYX-015 in conjunction with standard chemotherapy. The virus, which is related to the

common cold virus, had been modified to seek out and destroy cancer cells. The treatment was completed on 30 patients with head and neck cancers.

``The results of this study are encouraging in that they represent an incremental improvement in

some cases, and in some patients, a dramatic

one,`` said Khuri.

Tumors completely disappeared in eight patients.

more of the article on:

http://www.cnn.com/2000/HEALTH/cancer/08/01/cancer.gene.therapy/index.html