RJA #11a: Introduction

Imagine you have cancer- metastatic melanoma to be exact, which means that your immune system is deficient and can't help you recover if you get sick. This means that if you get even the slightest cold or minor infection it could cause you to become violently ill or possibly die. Now imagine there's a treatment that could significatly restore your immunities by attacking the cancer cells and bolstering your health- sounds like something out of a science-fiction book right? Wrong! With human gene therapies and human genetic manipulation, this relief as well as many other treatments are already possible. Human genetic manipulation and testing should only be allowed for the purpose of treating malevolent medical conditions. This would set a clear guideline on how far the implementation of this technology could go which will prevent possible, negative consequences such as engineering people for aesthetic purposes, or overpopulation due to extended longevity. While preventing overuse and abuse of this powerful new technology, such restrictions will allow this research to be utilized to help improve the lives of millions.