Via MSN:
Hailed as a “cure in a Petri dish,” the research by scientists at the University of Massachusetts Medical School is the first to find that it may be possible to switch off the genetic material responsible for the condition that causes cognitive delays, heart defects and shortened lifespans.
The development is expected to help create new treatments for problems caused by Down syndrome -- but it also raises the prospect of eliminating the condition entirely.
Could it be a 'cure'? Breakthrough prompts Down syndrome soul-searching - NBC News.com
Points:
- “On one hand, almost everyone agrees there’s a need for treatments to help the 250,000 people in the U.S. living with Down syndrome, including the nearly 7,000 babies born with it each year.”
- “On the other hand, it’s unclear what costs there may be to shutting down the mechanism that creates people who offer lessons in patience, kindness -- and what it means to be human.”
- “…ethicists fear that genetic manipulation could spell the end of the disorder – and of people who have it.”
- “The number of babies born with Down syndrome has been rising in the past decade, McCabe found. But research suggests that about 74 percent of women who receive a prenatal diagnosis of Down syndrome end their pregnancies.”
Ponder:
- The concerns revolve around whether it’s more desirable to keep people with Down syndrome in that state.
- 4th point above is a long way to say abortions. Expect the proponents on both sides to weigh in.
