Human Enhancement Uses of Biotechnology, Law, Genetic Enhancement, and the Regulation of Acquired Genetic Advantages

2002 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maxwell J. Mehlman
Keyword(s):  
Human Enhancement ◽  
Genetic Enhancement

scholarly journals Human enhancement

2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 (1) ◽  
pp. 183-189 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mara Almeida ◽  
Rui Diogo
Keyword(s):  
Natural Environment ◽  
Evolutionary Biology ◽  
Human Enhancement ◽  
Genetic Enhancement ◽  
Human Biology ◽  
Human Populations ◽  
Genetic Intervention ◽  
Biomedical Enhancement ◽  
Open Questions ◽  
Evolutionary Context

Abstract Genetic engineering opens new possibilities for biomedical enhancement requiring ethical, societal and practical considerations to evaluate its implications for human biology, human evolution and our natural environment. In this Commentary, we consider human enhancement, and in particular, we explore genetic enhancement in an evolutionary context. In summarizing key open questions, we highlight the importance of acknowledging multiple effects (pleiotropy) and complex epigenetic interactions among genotype, phenotype and ecology, and the need to consider the unit of impact not only to the human body but also to human populations and their natural environment (systems biology). We also propose that a practicable distinction between ‘therapy’ and ‘enhancement’ may need to be drawn and effectively implemented in future regulations. Overall, we suggest that it is essential for ethical, philosophical and policy discussions on human enhancement to consider the empirical evidence provided by evolutionary biology, developmental biology and other disciplines. Lay Summary: This Commentary explores genetic enhancement in an evolutionary context. We highlight the multiple effects associated with germline heritable genetic intervention, the need to consider the unit of impact to human populations and their natural environment, and propose that a practicable distinction between ‘therapy’ and ‘enhancement’ is needed.

scholarly journals Enhancing Autonomy, Authenticity And Selecting The Child With The Best Moral Life

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 423-454
Author(s):  
Alexandru Gabriel Cioiu
Keyword(s):  
Assisted Reproductive Technologies ◽  
Human Enhancement ◽  
Reproductive Technologies ◽  
Moral Life ◽  
Genetic Enhancement ◽  
Easy Access ◽  
Moral Agents ◽  
Biomedical Enhancement ◽  
Societal Norms ◽  
Biomedical Technologies

In the human enhancement literature, there is a recurrent fear that biomedical technologies will negatively impact the autonomy and authenticity of moral agents, even when the agents would end up having better capacities and an improved life with the aid of these technologies. I will explore several ways in which biomedical enhancement may improve the autonomy of moral agents and try to show that biomedical methods are, all things considered, beneficial to our autonomy and authenticity. I will argue that there are instances when it’s desirable to limit the autonomy of moral agents and that strict regulations are to be put in place if a great number of people will have easy access to powerful, genetic-altering technologies which can impact the life of future children. I will advocate for using assisted reproductive technologies in order to select the child with the best chance of the best moral life and in doing so I will analyse several procreative principles which have been proposed by different scholars in the genetic enhancement debate and try to determine which one would be best to adhere to. Usually, people place high value on the concept of autonomy and there are many cases in which they end up overestimating autonomy in relation to other moral values. While autonomy is important, it’s also important to know how to limit it when reasonable societal norms require it. Sometimes autonomy is defined in strong connection with the concept of authenticity, in the sense that it’s not sufficient for our choices to be autonomous if they are not also authentic. I will try to defend the idea that authenticity can be enhanced as well with the aid of enhancement technologies which can actually prove beneficial in our quest to improve our own self.

scholarly journals The Ethics of Pre-Implantation Genetic Diagnosis in Practice: An Analysis of the Feasibility and Ethical Considerations of Applying and Regulating Genetic Enhancement

2013 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 14
Author(s):  
Helena Bleeker
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Diagnosis ◽  
Human Enhancement ◽  
Genetic Enhancement ◽  
Genetic Therapy ◽  
Ethical Considerations ◽  
Moral Agents ◽  
Medical Therapies

<span>Pre-Implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) has many therapeutic and enhancement ap- plications. In a previous work, I presented arguments in favour of all types of PGD, whether for medical therapies or human enhancement. These arguments were based on the absence of moral distinctions between genetic therapy and genetic enhancement. The implication of these arguments is that, if one cannot distinguish between therapy and enhancement on moral grounds, then all PGD applications must be either moral or immoral. Although logically speaking this argument may be true, in practice I believe that it is possible and necessary to draw a line between what is morally permissible and what is not with respect to applications of PGD for genetic enhancement. In order to draw this line, I move away from analyzing the moral substance of PGD as a technology and focus instead on the moral agents that will employ PGD. As humans, I believe we are both morally accountable and mora</span>

scholarly journals Reciprocal control of obesity and anxiety–depressive disorder via a GABA and serotonin neural circuit

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guobin Xia ◽  
Yong Han ◽  
Fantao Meng ◽  
Yanlin He ◽  
Dollada Srisai ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Neural Circuit ◽  
Combined Treatment ◽  
Neural Mechanism ◽  
Mental States ◽  
Genetic Enhancement ◽  
Anxiety And Depression ◽  
Calorie Intake ◽  
Bed Nucleus ◽  
Low Fat Diet ◽  
Melanocortin 4 Receptor

AbstractThe high comorbidity between obesity and mental disorders, such as depression and anxiety, often exacerbates metabolic and neurological symptoms significantly. However, neural mechanisms that underlie reciprocal control of feeding and mental states are largely elusive. Here we report that melanocortin 4 receptor (MC4R) neurons located in the dorsal bed nucleus of the stria terminus (dBNST) engage in the regulation of mentally associated weight gain by receiving GABAergic projections from hypothalamic AgRP neurons onto α5-containing GABAA receptors and serotonergic afferents onto 5-HT3 receptors. Chronic treatment with a high-fat diet (HFD) significantly blunts the hyperexcitability of AgRP neurons in response to not only hunger but also anxiety and depression-like stimuli. Such HFD-mediated desensitization reduces GABAergic outputs from AgRP neurons to downstream MC4RdBNST neurons, resulting in severe mental dysregulation. Genetic enhancement of the GABAAR-α5 or suppression of the 5-HT3R within the MC4RdBNST neurons not only abolishes HFD-induced anxiety and depression but also robustly reduces body weight by suppression of food intake. To gain further translational insights, we revealed that combined treatment of zonisamide (enhancing the GABAAR-α5 signaling) and granisetron (a selective 5-HT3R antagonist) alleviates mental dysfunction and yields a robust reversal of diet-induced obesity by reducing total calorie intake and altering food preference towards a healthy low-fat diet. Our results unveil a neural mechanism for reciprocal control of appetite and mental states, which culminates in a novel zonisamide-granisetron cocktail therapy for potential tackling the psychosis-obesity comorbidity.

Any DNA to Declare? Regulating Offshore Access to Genetic Enhancement

2002 ◽  
Vol 28 (2-3) ◽  
pp. 179-213
Author(s):  
Maxwell J. Mehlman ◽  
Kirsten M. Rabe
Keyword(s):  
Law School ◽  
Genetic Enhancement ◽  
Basketball Player ◽  
Professional Basketball ◽  
The Government ◽  
Travel Abroad ◽  
To Receive ◽  
The U.S

Imagine a world in which parents can genetically enhance their child's height so that he becomes a professional basketball player. Or imagine a law school student preparing for the bar who takes out an extra loan to genetically enhance his intelligence. What if going to your physician for a routine physical included the option of genetically enhancing any trait you desired? And what if such a practice was expensive and, therefore, only available to the privileged members of society? Is this desirable or should the U.S. government ban genetic enhancement? What if the government bans it and citizens travel abroad to receive genetic enhancement treatments? Can the U.S. government do anything to prevent access to illegal genetic enhancement abroad?

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