Ethical Analysis of Bioinformation Issues

Analysis of Bioinformation Issues

Bioinformation refers the biological information that is derived from the analysis of a range of physical or biological characteristics of a person. Among the common controversial issues in bioinformation is genome editing and human reproduction. Genome editing refers to the deliberate alteration of selected DNA sequences in the living cells. Human genome editing has been noted to have many potential therapeutic applications. The field of genome technology has been noted to face challenges, opportunities and issues. Among the issues raised on the use of the application of this field bioinformation is on the arising ethical issue. This paper will carry an ethical analysis of the bioinformation issue on genome editing. The topic will be analyzed using three objectivist theories of morality; utilitarianism, Aristotle’s virtual ethics and Kant’s Deontological ethics.

In bioinformation issues, biotechnology development has developed rapidly and scientific tools have resulted from these advancements. Genome editing is among the issues that have been noted to advancements. Gene editing allows the structurally altering of the genetic background of humans and other organisms with an aim of deciding the traits that will be passed to the descendants. The most common technique in gene editing is CRISPR/Cas9 (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats/Cas9) (De Lecuona, Casado, Marfany, Baroni, & Escarrabill, 2017). Genome editing entails inducing a directed and specific modification in the DNA sequence of human or other living beings. Genome editing may be carried out to make changes to a single gene or part of a gene. Other versions of genome editing may involve deleting an entire chromosome. An example of the application of gene-editing technologies is treatment of hematopoietic disease through modification of different types f blood cells such as the hematopoietic stem cells (Kohn, Porteus, & Scharenberg, 2016).

The genome editing process has yielded to ethical implications which are focused on both the process and the purpose which it is used. This will be analyzed using theories of morality; Ulitarianism, virtue ethics, and deontological ethics. Utilitarianism is an ethical theory that seeks to determine right from wrong by considering the outcomes of an action. The utilitarianism is a form of consequentialism that highlights the premise that the best ethical choice is the one that produces the greatest good for the largest group of people. Virtue ethics is theory on morality that highlights the need of considering individual’s character as the main element of ethical thinking as opposed to considering the specific action or the resulting consequences. This implies that virtue ethics is person rather than action based. Deontology is an ethical theory that concentrates on rules to establish what is right and wrong.

Use of utilitarian theory in analyzing the bioinformation issue of genome editing would focus on the consequences of the issue. On this basis, utilitarianism would consider whether the application of genome editing would result to pleasure or less pain to those affected. If genome editing could result to prevention of a disease, it would cause more pleasure and less pain and thereby would be considered as an ethical decision. The application of genome editing will be ethically allowed where its application can result in protection of children from diseases. Utilitarianism would call setting of rules to govern the application of genetic engineering that would specify the where genome editing could or not be used. Among the instances where genome editing would be allowed is on medical research to foster curing of disease. An example of instances where genome editing would be edited is where it negatively affects the embryo’s personality or character traits.

Virtue ethics is a theory on morality concentrates on the character of the moral agent as opposed to the rightness of the action being carried out. A review of genome editing from the perspective of virtue ethics seeks to consider whether it is allowable to enhance moral behavior through gene modification. Molhoek (2018) indicated that genetic engineering such as genome editing has the ability to enhance the human disposition to moral behavior but gene editing cannot lead to the creation of virtues. This is because virtues are stable, habituated dispositions acquired over time. Considering this, it can be noted that gene editing may be permissible where it targets enhancing moral behavior. Under the virtual ethics theory, genetic enhancement will be permissible where the results would be detrimental to virtue.

Deontological ethics is theory that bases its argument on categorical imperative. The imperative indicated one should act only in according to the maxim that one could wish to become a universal law. The golden rule is that one should behave in the same manner that they would like to be treated. A review of genome editing under deontological ethics would consider that those doing it, would not mind the same procedure being done unto them. This implies that genome editing should be morally permissible where it can adopt as universal and objective good. If the universal law is against the practice of genome editing, then the action would be regarded as morally wrong.

References

De Lecuona, I., Casado, M., Marfany, G., Baroni, M. L., & Escarrabill, M. (2017). Focus: Genome Editing: Gene Editing in Humans: Towards a Global and Inclusive Debate for Responsible Research. The Yale journal of biology and medicine, 90(4), 673.

Kohn, D. B., Porteus, M. H., & Scharenberg, A. M. (2016). Ethical and regulatory aspects of genome editing. Blood, 127(21), 2553-2560.

Molhoek, B. (2018). Raising the Virtuous Bar: The Underlying Issues of Genetic Moral Enhancement. Theology and Science, 1-9.