The floodgates are open for more genetically modified animals—possibly even humans.
Last week saw the approval of another genetically modified animal— this time a chicken genetically altered to produce a drug in its eggs. The drug is designed to replace a faulty enzyme in people with a rare genetic condition that prevents the body from breaking down fatty molecules in cells.
The genetically engineered (GE) chicken is not approved for human consumption, but it is the third so-called “farmaceutical” approved in the US market. Preceding the chicken was a GE goat that produces antithrombin, an anticoagulant, in its milk. Last year the FDA also approved a drug for treating hereditary angioedema that is produced by transgenic (GE) rabbits.
As one geneticist noted, “I can’t wait to see what comes next.” We can. We also expect the development of more GE animals as food following the approval of AquaAdvantage’s salmon, which we dubbed “Frankenfish” over five years ago, the first GE animal approved for human consumption. The FDA has indicated these salmon will not even need to carry a label identifying them as genetically modified—so you may have no idea what you are eating.
There is much talk of creating so-called designer babies, whose parents would be able to select the genetic characteristics that their child develops (being tall, intelligent, etc.). Scientists are also working on performing DNA transplants into human embryos to eliminate genetic diseases. A baby born this way would have genetic material from three different people and pass on its genetic makeup to future generations. Scientists are learning, however, that changing even one gene can result in harmful DNA mutations that reverberate throughout the entire DNA structure.
This is the stuff of dystopian science fiction stories, and we may be approaching such a world faster than we think.
Other articles in this week’s Pulse of Natural Health
Your Family’s Meat—Will You Know Where It Comes From?
Big Food Wants to Sneak a BAN on Mandatory GMO Labeling into the Budget Bill!
GMO Fraud Revealed
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Haven’t these scientists watched GATTACA? I had to watch that in high school biology class. It’s a warning of the ethical dangers of a designer baby world.
Also, creating GE animals that produce drugs just sounds…unnecessarily complicated. Who’s grand idea was that? How are they going to take care of the animals? Will they accidentally make it into the food supply (and therefore giving drugs to people they haven’t been prescribed to)? Will people allergic to eggs/milk/whatever else be able to take the drugs?
It’s like some of these scientists missed the point of science fiction (which often explores ethical dilemmas and predict unintended consequences of actions) and just saw cool stuff and forgot that things can go very very wrong.
It used to be that in order to obtain insulin for diabetics, it had to be removed from the pancreas of a dead pig or cow. (The first dose came from a dog), but that was expensive, difficult to do and demand outstripped production. Then, in 1978, by combining a human gene with first the bacterium E. coli and later a species of yeast, we can now get human insulin from that yeast at a huge cost savings. This is an example of a GMO saving countless lives AND money. And especially, my diabetic dog!
I’m aware of GE insulin. Yeast is a lot easier to care for than large animals, however, and is unlikely to accidentally get mixed in with the food supply since it can simply stay in a lab. The questions I asked remain valid. Also, insulin is not a drug. It’s a hormone necessary to human life. Different situation, since nobody dies from lack of a pharmaceutical drug (although drugs CAN save lives). Perhaps there are other, less risky ways to help the people who would be using these drugs?
GMO and pharms are both created by criminal psychopaths who want to commit genocide and ecocide for profits… period. Diabetes can be cured naturally.. fact.
They don’t seem to know when to leave well enough alone.
Some humans need to STOP tinkering with nature and playing God. Just because we can do something does NOT mean that we should!
Using their intelligence towards developing harmful, ungodly products is a deeply destructive endevour that must be blocked and rebuked by all of us. We can stop this, and our voices can and will be heard. The Devil is impotent and cannot create….but certainly can destroy. God on the other hand is Life itself and all of us benefit from his awesome power to have created all the minerals, plants, animals, herbs, flowers, roots, barks, seeds, berries, fruits, nuts…..etc. that are designed to provide us with medicine, nutrients, and prosperous health. This nature of greed that is consuming every sector of this world is self defeating……and the epitome of “self” fishiness.
I’d like to believe that, but if god is so powerful then why doesn’t he stop it, surly he must have seen all of this coming, or is this the destiny of the human race and part of the earths ever changing cycles.
God gave man, (and woman), something called “free will”. And, as everybody knows, men, (and women), tend to lean toward evil more than good.
How do you know that we didn’t already have free will.
How do you know we already had free will? Prior to what exactly?
Free will, what a misnomer, you religious types use this excuse as a get out of Jail card. you use it to justify the acts of sinners, since there seems to be no form of retribution on gods behalf, no fire and brimstone to strike us down. we live on this earth as long as you and some even longer.I asked a minister once (I was 13 at the time), what the correlation was between science and faith, and he said, “You either believe or you don’t”, the bible goes back to cover about 20,000 yrs back to Genesis, and we know that the earth is about 4 billion yrs old, so what is the truth. a rock that dates back 2/3 million yrs old or your bible that was written less than 2,000 yrs ago.
This is eugenics in it’s modern form, would it be possible to have a shark, mutate into twice it’s normal size if it digested a Frankenfish it just ate,
No, that would not be possible. Digesting food doesn’t effect an organism’s genetic makeup. If it did, people who eat chicken would have beaks and feathers.
Humans are not people. They’re not even life.
That would explain why people who drink fluoride, still get cavities.
Gmo’s are disrupting your Dna,and other Organism’s in your body, and without you knowing it.
I’d read gods word when he writes it, or make an appearance , but we know that’s not going to happen, religious types referrers to just about all religions, thirdly, cloning seems to be a thing of the past,and about as close to your god as it can get for now. 4Th carbon dating can be proven and the earth is way more than the age that your god says it is, and I don’t believe that a natural weather phase is anything to do with god or man, it’s nature at it’s finest. 5th I’d get a better result by asking Santa Clause for a 40 ft yacht. than wasting my time talking to your imagination. and your bible that you like to read was just that a man made book written back in about 300 AD and paid for by the first Pope Constantine( the great).
Haven’t yo heard of Dolly?