Intellectual Property & Your Health Series - Controversy and ethical issues

Shidonna Raven
Apr 21
2 min read

Photo / Image Source: Unsplash,

Before you go to the Doctor!

Controversy and ethical issues

In 1980 the “new” microorganisms created by recombinant DNA research were deemed patentable, and in 1986 the U.S. Department of Agriculture approved the sale of the first living genetically altered organism—a virus, used as a pseudorabies vaccine, from which a single gene had been cut. Since then several hundred patents have been awarded for genetically altered bacteria and plants. Patents on genetically engineered and genetically modified organisms, particularly crops and other foods, however, were a contentious issue, and they remained so into the first part of the 21st century.

Special concern has been focused on genetic engineering for fear that it might result in the introduction of unfavourable and possibly dangerous traits into microorganisms that were previously free of them—e.g., resistance to antibiotics, production of toxins, or a tendency to cause disease. Indeed, possibilities for misuse of genetic engineering were vast. In particular, there was significant concern about genetically modified organisms, especially modified crops, and their impacts on human and environmental health. For example, genetic manipulation may potentially alter the allergenic properties of crops. In addition, whether some genetically modified crops, such as golden rice, deliver on the promise of improved health benefits was also unclear. The release of genetically modified mosquitoes and other modified organisms into the environment also raised concerns.

In the 21st century, significant progress in the development of gene-editing tools brought new urgency to long-standing discussions about the ethical and social implications surrounding the genetic engineering of humans. The application of gene editing in humans raised significant ethical concerns, particularly regarding its potential use to alter traits such as intelligence and beauty. More practically, some researchers attempted to use gene editing to alter genes in human sperm, which would enable the edited genes to be passed on to subsequent generations, while others sought to alter genes that increase the risk of certain types of cancer, with the aim of reducing cancer risk in offspring. The impacts of gene editing on human genetics, however, were unknown, and regulations to guide its use were largely lacking.