The scope of genetic engineering

Genetic engineering is the area of biotechnology concerned with the directed alteration of genetic material.

Biotechnology has already had countless applications in industry, agriculture, and medicine. It is a hotbed* of research. The finishing of the human genome project – a “rough draft” of the entire human genome was published in the year 2000 – was a scientific milestone** by anyone’s standards. Research is now shifting to decoding the functions and interapplications based on this information. The potential medical benefits are too many to list; researchers are working on every common disease, with varying degrees of success. Progress takes place not only in the development of drugs and diagnostics but also in the creation of better tools and research methodologies, which in turn accelerates progress.

When considering what developments are likely over the long term, such improvements in the research process itself must be factored in***. The human genome project was completed ahead of schedule (it usually takes ten years to get from proof-of-concept to

successful commercialization).

Genetic therapies are of two sorts: somatic and germ-line. In somatic gene therapy, a virus is typically used as a vector to insert genetic material into the cells of the recipient's body. The effects of such interventions do not carry over into the next generation. Germ-line genetic therapy is performed on sperm or egg cells, or on the early zygote, and can be inheritable. Embryo screening, in which embryos are tested for genetic defects or other traits and then selectively implanted, can also count as a kind of germ-line intervention. Human gene therapy, except for some forms of embryo screening, is still experimental. Nonetheless, it holds promise for the prevention and treatment of many diseases, as well as for uses in enhancement medicine.

The potential scope of genetic medicine is vast: virtually all disease and all human traits – intelligence, extroversion, conscientiousness, physical appearance, etc. – involve genetic predispositions. Single-gene disorders, such as cystic fibrosis, sickle cell anemia, and Huntington's disease are likely to be among the first targets for genetic intervention. Polygenic traits and disorders, in which more than one gene is implicated, may follow later, although even polygenic conditions can sometimes be influenced in a beneficial direction by targeting a single gene.

Notes

*hotbed – a place where a lot of particular kind of activity happens.

**milestone – a very important event in the development of smth.

***to factor in – to include a particular thing in your calculations about how long something will take, how much it will cost etc.