ing right now, but may lie in what is to come. Germ-line therapy is a type of therapy we may see in the near future. So far, all gene therapy trials now are somatic. Somatic therapy only introduces genes into regular body cells, not sperm or egg cells. The genetic material added to these cells can help patients only during their lifetimes, but will never be passed on to their children. Germ-line gene therapy on the other hand involves genetic manipulations of sperm, egg, or early embryonic cells. These cells can create a whole person all by themselves, therefore, if their genes are altered, the change will be passed on to future generations. Many researchers praise germ-line gene therapy and say that it is good because it will not only eliminate the disease in the patient, but the “fixed” gene will be passed on to the children, therefore preventing them from having the disease. Advocates also say, the germ-line approach might be less expensive than somatic gene therapy or traditional treatments for genetic diseases. However, there are large risks involved. First, there is a large risk for the developing embryo. This is because scientists lack the technical skills to insure precise insertion of a gene without disrupting other genes. Also the genes would be passed on to future generations therefore changing the human gene pool. Although these changes are thought to be for the better, an error in current technology or judgment could have long lasting consequences.Another issue surrounding Germ-line gene therapy is that it could eventually lead to eugenics, or reproductive policies that are intended to promote preferred characteristics. We may be working on life threatening illnesses today but tomorrow we could be concerned about baldness or height. One last item that many are disturbed about is the fact that the patients involved are fetuses and future people that have not been born. They have no say in whether t...
