Genetic Screening

HeLa cells in action

Ethics of Genetic Screening

It’s unethical to test patients without conformed consent such as when Southam started injecting people with HeLa cells in 1954. Southam's research was described as, "illegal, immoral, and deplorable".(133) There was even a headline in the newspaper that said "...scientific experts condemn ethics of cancer injection".(133)
The idea of ethics differs from person to person. Some believe it is right to sacrifice one person to possibly save millions in the future. On the other hands others condemn the idea of purposely harming ones body.
Released medical records of the Lack’s family for commercial use; took advantage of their DNA and exposed it to the science community for further research
"Information derived from research will transform medical treatment, scientific research, and the outlook of societies forever. We will be faced with ethical decisions involving gene therapy and genetic screening. These ethical decisions are ones that we will need to make not only as individuals but as a society." (Otto)

Laws/Guidelines

The Hippocratic Oath

The Classical Version of the Hippocratic Oath

Moral of conduct oath rendered in the late 5th century BCE, it is believed to have been written by Hippocrates or one of his students. It is generally used as the moral standard of respect for human life. It has been revised into a more modern version in 1964 by Dr. Louis Lasagna the Academic Dean of the School of Medicine at Tufts University. (Tyson)

"I will respect the privacy of my patients, for their problems are not disclosed to me that the world may know. Most especially must I tread with care in matters of life and death..."
Modern version of Hippocratic Oath by Dr. Louis Lasagna

Nuremberg Code

Karl Brandt awaiting his sentence at the Doctors' Trials

During WWII, Karl Brandt and many other Nazi German doctors were performing inhumane experiments on the inmates in the concentration camps which were commonly Jewish descendants. After the Americans intervened, the International Military Tribunal charged German physicians with war crimes and crimes against humanity at the Doctors' Trials in 1946. Thus the Nuremberg Code was established in 1948. It was a set of ten guidelines to ensure the rights of subjects and stated "The voluntary consent of the human subject is absolutely essential." Although not a law, the establishment of the Nuremberg Code set a basis for research/experimentation ethics and advocated informed consent. ("The Nuremberg Code..)

Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008 (GINA)

In 2008 George W. Bush signed the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008 to prohibit insurance companies and employment agencies from discriminating an individual due to their genetic information. That means healthcare companies can not deny coverage or charge higher premiums to individuals due to their genetic information. Also employers can not use genetic information as a basis to hire, fire, or promote any persons. (Hudson)

Consequences of Genetic Screening

Genetic Discrimination

Genetic discrimination is an after effect of the public knowledge on genetic screening. It refers to the prejudicial treatment of a person because of a gene mutation that causes or increases the risk of disorders or diseases. Today, genetic discrimination exists in many societal institutions such as hospitals, the work place, and even within insurance companies. If someone were to receive genetic testing “NIH said that to qualify for funding, all proposals for research on human subjects had to be approved by review boards…[they had to meet the] NIH’s ethics requirements, including detailed informed consent” presented to the patient (135). When a person applies for any type of insurance or for a job, companies may have the right to check their medical records. As a result, the genetic tests that are placed on the medical record will most likely affect that persons insurance or chance of employment. In the end genetic screening may save hundreds of lives, however the consequences will eventually spawn a rift in human society, creating a new social underclass based on genetic discrimination. (Billings)

Designer Babies

InVitro Fertilization or IVF

Thanks to the advanced technology of genetic screening, human embryos are now able to be modified for favorable traits and characteristics. Journalists have come to describe this is a designer baby. Using advanced techniques such as InVitro Fertilization (IVF), eggs can now be fertilized within test tubes as a way to reduce the chance of genetic disorders of occurring. During this process, a chance is given where desirable traits can be plugged into the genome of the embryo. However, the new genetic coding that is plugged into the genome replaces the current dominant traits that would have normally occurred. This in effect, shifts the gene pool in a new direction. Some diseases and disorders are based on the human genome so the inherited disorders within the family, such as high blood pressure, heart disease, etc. may have been lowered to nonexistent, but new mutations and disorders may arise from the new genetic makeup. ("What is Designer Baby?")

Works Cited

Skloot, Rebecca. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. New York: Crown Publishers, 2010. Print.
Otto, Carla. "Ethical Issues of Genetic Screening." NDSU - North Dakota State University. 1997. Web. 09 Oct. 2011. <http://www.ndsu.edu/pubweb/~mcclean/plsc431/students/otto.html>.
Tyson, Peter. "The Hippocratic Oath Today." pbs.org/wghb/nova. PBS, 27 Mar. 2001. Web. 09 Oct 2011.
Hudson, Kathy L. , J.D. Holohan, and Francis S. Collins. "Keeping Pace with the Times-The Genetic Discrimination Act of 2008." nejm.org. The New England Journal of Medicine, 19 Jun. 2008. Web. 10 Oct 2011.
"The Nuremburg Code. Wartime Experiments on the Inmate of Nazis Concentration Camp." Brown.edu. Brown University, n.d. Web. 10 Oct. 2011.
Billings, Paul R., Mel A. Kohn, Margaret Cuevas, Johnathan Beckwith, Joseph S. Alper, and Marvin R. Natowicz. Rep. Discrimination as a Consequence of Genetic Testing. National Center for Biotechnology Information. Web. 9 Oct. 2011. <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1684266/pdf/ajhg00074-0025.pdf>.
"What Is a Designer Baby?" Bionet - New Discoveries in Life Sciences - Explore the Science and Debate the Issues. Bionet. Web. 9 Oct. 2011. <http://www.bionetonline.org/english/content/db_cont1.htm>.