11:00AM Nick Broughall | Scientists in the UK have eliminated an altered gene known to cause breast cancer from an unborn baby, according to the BBC.
The science behind the technique isn’t exactly new – it’s been used to screen for Cystic Fibrosis for years in the UK, but this is the first time its been used to prevent cancer. It involves screening for affected genes while the baby is still in the 8-cell embryonic stage, when it’s about 3 days old. Without the treatment, any female descendants of the family in question would have a 50-80% chance of developing breast cancer in their 20s.
Scientists have been careful not to claim this is a cure for breast cancer – there are other causes for the disease other than this one altered gene – but what this really does is open the door for designer babies. After all, if you can remove a bad gene from a child at the embryonic stages, you should be able to add different genes (like giving your child blond hair and blue eyes, for example) as well. And from there it’s only a matter of time before we’re subjected to an entire race of
Children of the Corn, isn’t it?
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BBC]
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