Week 8, Group 2 Members: Emma Bauer, Mark Puhaly, Faith Sola, Tameka Stevenson, Kyra Wilson
Gene Therapy
What is Gene therapy? Here are a few definitions:
●the transplantation of normal genes into cells in place of missing or defective ones in order to correct
genetic disorders (Oxford English Dictionary, 2020)
●Gene therapy is a medical field which focuses on the utilization of the therapeutic delivery of nucleic acid
into a patient's cells as a drug to treat disease, from Wikipedia.
There are many diseases that are currently being treated by gene therapy. They include, but are not limited
to the following: Monogenic diseases such as Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease, cystic fibrosis and sickle
cell anemia. Polygenic diseases like heart disease, diabetes and Alzheimer’s. Infectious diseases can be treated as
well, an example is HIV. These are the three categories of gene therapy – monogenic disease treatment, polygenic
disease treatment and infectious disease treatment. With the exponential growth of technology (that includes gene
technology/genetic engineering), the human genome project, CRISPR, reverse transcriptase research and others,
gene therapy could become more of a 1 line treatment for many of the diseases listed above with hopefully very
st
efficacious results. There are many references listed in The Bible about helping others and helping our fellow man.
Hebrews 13:16 (New International Version) states, “Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such
sacrifices are pleasing to God.” Matthew 5:16 (New International Version) states, “In the same way, let your light
shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” If we
have the ability to help cure disease or limit the impact(s) of diseases with new methods that can prolong life and
give a better quality of life to patients I think we are obliged to offer these treatment modalities to patients and their
families. Gene therapy still has a long way to go for optimal outcomes in many instances. However, if using gene
therapy can ease a patient’s symptoms, improve quality of life, and give patients more time to spend with their
families before it is their time to go be with God – then use gene therapy as a treatment option.
GMO
Genetically modified organisms (GMO) have been up too much scrutiny the past decade. GMOs are living
organisms whose genetic material has been artificially manipulated in a laboratory through genetic engineering
(“GMO Facts,” n.d.; “What is GMO?,” n.d.; Philipps, 2008). This process includes the artificial selection of specific,
desired traits. Today, new genes can be incorporated from one species into a completely unrelated species through
genetic engineering, optimizing agricultural performance or facilitating the production of valuable pharmaceutical
substances.
High-risk ingredients produced by genetic engineering have been commercialized in products including
alfalfa, canola, corn, cotton, papaya, soy, sugar beet, animal products, microbes, and enzymes (“What is GMO?,”
n.d.). High-risk ingredients are typically present in products such as: amino acids, high fructose corn syrup,
aspartame, citric acid, molasses, lactic acid, vinegar, and yeast products to name a few. are typically Low-risk
ingredients are found in lentils, spinach, tomatoes, sesame seeds, and avocados. Monitored-risk crops are those that
are currently investigated to determine any genetic-engineered ingredients; these crops include oranges, mustard,
rice, flax, wheat, pineapple, and salmon.
The most common genetically conferred traits include herbicide tolerance, insect resistance, altered fatty
acid composition, virus resistance, vitamin enrichment, vaccines, oral vaccines, and faster maturation (Philipps,
2008).
Currently, there is no scientific consensus on GMO safety. An article by Hilbeck and colleagues (2015),
discussed the matter at hand and determined: (1) there is no consensus on genetically modified (GM) food; (2) there
are no epidemiological studies investigating potential effects of GM food consumption on human health; (3) claims
that scientific governmental bodies endorse GMO safety are exaggerated or inaccurate; (4) list of several hundred
studies does not show GM food safety; (5) and there is no consensus on the environmental risks of GM crops. The
authors concluded the totality of scientific research outcomes in the field of GM crop and safety is nuanced,
complex, often contradictory or inconclusive, confounded by researcher’s choice, assumptions, and funding sources,
and has raised more questions than it has currently answered.
Finally, a correspondence sent to the editor of Nature Biotechnology by Kim & Kim (2016) stated
CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing bypassed GMO regulations. Only if foreign DNA was present after transgenesis, was
regulatory approval of the mechanism required under current GMO regulation. However, since that research using
CRISPR-Cas9 technology found no evidence of foreign DNA in the genome analyzed, CRISPR-Cas9 gene-edited
mushroom fell outside of GMO regulation and thus, the US government had and will not have authority to regulate
the product (Kim & Kim, 2016).
Ecclesiastes 7:13 (ESV) states, “Consider the work of God:who can make straight what he has made crooked.”
Vaccines
Vaccines offer an opportunity to protect against certain diseases by introducing the body to antigens of the
foreign body associated with the virus. This allows the body to create antibodies against the specific virus so if the
body is ever exposed to the same virus later in life, there are antibodies to fight against it. This type of exposure
creates an immunity within the body, which is usually performed during childhood years. Newborn children are in
fact born with quite strong immune systems, however this disappears within the first year of life (CDC, 2018).
Therefore within the first few months and as children continue to grow, they receive immunizations/vaccines against
diseases like measles/mumps, diphtheria, tetanus, etc. Such measures can not only help children from terrible
diseases, but also help protect the community. Corporations (U.S FDA) go through lengths to ensure the safety of
such vaccines as well as their effectiveness (CDC, 2018). They take the time to thoroughly test the vaccines that will
help people from preventable diseases. A great example of a prominent issue now is that of a COVID-19 vaccine.
One has not been approved yet, but due to fear and the still rising number of cases, many are hopeful of one being
produced at the end of this year. However, is that too hopeful? A vaccine should take a while just to first understand
the virus and then create an effective, yet safe (mild side effects) form of it to provide to the people (Sepkowitz,
2020). Although modern technology has given the opportunity to dissect how many things work, the biology of
humans is still quite the complex study. As of now, there are currently eight trials, half of which are occuring in
China, in order to initiate a vaccine against the new virus (Sepkowitz, 2020). Other corporations, such as big
pharmaceutical companies, are working hard to collaborate with these trials in order to offer any necessary aid. The
clinical trials will proceed using phases. Hopefully, the vaccine will be created and available to the public by next
year. It is now that we must all stand together and pray and lean on God. 2 Thessalonians 3:3 (NIV) says, “The Lord
is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one.”
Why do medicine?
There is, and will always be, a need for management of health and wellness, from a global to individual
scale...and everywhere in between. For this demand, there should be a supply of selfless, brilliant people ready to
work diligently to contribute to the welfare of themselves and the people around them. As science continues to
evolve we have to answer the call to use technology effectively and conduct purposeful research, all the while
ensuring to the best of our ability the safety of the patient. It is not the healthy who need a doctor (Matthew 9:12,
NIV). The level of understanding, problem solving, and compassion that a health professional must possess is a gift
from God. Our gifts are not assigned to us, for us. They are loaned to us for the purpose of sharing God’s love. For
many people that work in healthcare there is this constant tug of the heart to help people in a significant way. What
better way than to “do medicine”?
“In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in
heaven” (Matthew 5:16, NIV)
References
GMO Facts. (n.d.). https://www.nongmoproject.org/gmo-facts/
Hilbeck, A., Binimelis, R., Defarge, N., Steinbrecher, R., Székács, A., Wickson, F., … Wynne, B. (2015). No
scientific consensus on GMO safety. Environmental Sciences Europe, 27(1), 1–6. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12302-
014-0034-1.
Kim, J., & Kim, J. S. (2016). Bypassing GMO regulations with CRISPR gene editing. Nature Biotechnology,
34(10), 1014–1015. https://doi.org/10.1038/nbt.3680.
Oxford English Dictionary. (2020). Retrieved from: https://www.google.com/search?
client=safari&source=hp&ei=hK6wXqP0NIqItQXokp_IBA&q=gene+therapy+definition&oq=gene+therap&gs_lcp
=CgZwc3ktYWIQARgBMgIIADICCAAyAggAMgIIADICCAAyAggAMgIIADICCAAyAggAMgIIADoFCAAQg
wFQ6A9YxCFgsDFoAHAAeACAAWCIAfkEkgECMTGYAQCgAQGqAQdnd3Mtd2l6&sclient=psy-ab.
Philipps, T. (2008). Genetically modified organisms (GMOs): Transgenic crops and recombinant DNA technology.
Nature Education, 1(1), 213.
What is GMO? (n.d.). https://www.nongmoproject.org/gmo-facts/what-is-gmo/.
“Things You Need to Know about Vaccines.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, 16 May 2018, www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vac-gen/vaxwithme.html.
Sepkowitz, Opinion by Kent. “When Can a Covid-19 Vaccine Really Be Ready?” CNN, Cable News Network, 4
May 2020, www.cnn.com/2020/05/04/opinions/when-can-a-covid-19-vaccine-really-be-ready-sepkowitz/index.html.
Oxford English Dictionary. (2020). Retrieved from: https://www.google.com/search?
client=safari&source=hp&ei=hK6wXqP0NIqItQXokp_IBA&q=gene+therapy+definition&oq=gene+therap&gs_lcp
=CgZwc3ktYWIQARgBMgIIADICCAAyAggAMgIIADICCAAyAggAMgIIADICCAAyAggAMgIIADoFCAAQg
wFQ6A9YxCFgsDFoAHAAeACAAWCIAfkEkgECMTGYAQCgAQGqAQdnd3Mtd2l6&sclient=psy-ab
