Gene Therapy

I think there are amazing possibilities for gene therapy, but we must navigate this unchartered territory with caution. Mapping the genetic codes of deadly, parasitic microbes in developing countries has shown promise for effective drugs and vaccines that can specifically target these microbes. I am comfortable using genetic coding for this purpose, although ethical considerations would still include how the drugs are created, tested, to whom the drugs become available, environmental impact, etc. I get a little more uncomfortable when talk turns to altering or determining a person's genome. As geneticists get more adept at tinkering with those strands of lettered proteins of which we are comprised, we'll have more choices about what to do with our genome, and that of our offspring. I personally want to leave that up to Nature. I have no desire to rid or enhance my genetic predispositions from the inside out. I'd rather influence the expression of my genes in a more holistic manner. (environment, diet, meditation) When and if cutting and pasting of the genome becomes commonplace, it will be a strange time indeed. Ethical considerations here will include definitions of disability, which patients are primary candidiates, and who pays the bill. (And to what extent do we allow eugenics??)