AAT and Transgenic sheep
The protein alpha-1-antitrypsin (AAT) is made in normally functioning liver cells. AAT plays an important role preventing damage, particularly to the liver and lungs, by an enzyme in white blood cells. This enzyme is released from white blood cells to fight infection, and AAT stops it from attacking normal tissues.
A mutation in the gene that codes for AAT can result in absent or abnormal protein that cannot control the white blood cell enzyme. This is Alpha-1 - antitrypsin deficiency (A1AD) which is a hereditary disease that may lead to hepatitis and cirrhosis. It is the most common genetic cause of liver disease in children. Adults are also affected and may also have lung problems such as emphysema as well as liver disease.
At the moment, treatment for A1AD includes use of antibiotics and generally leading a healthy life style i.e. not smoking and drinking alcohol but these are not permanent solutions and ultimately liver and lung transplants may be needed. Gene therapy may eventually provide a treatment for A1AD, but so far it has not proved possible to remove the mutant gene from human DNA.
Transgenic (or GM) sheep can help those A1AD sufferers who develop the lung disease emphysema. These animals have been genetically modified to produce milk that contains the human protein AAT. Supplies of AAT from this source are currently in clinical trials for A1AD and cystic fibrosis sufferers in many countries across the world.
Reference: http://www.beep.ac.uk/content/456.0.html
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Bioethics is the philosophical study of the ethical controversies brought about by advances in biology and medicine. Bioethicists are concerned with the ethical questions that arise in the relationships among life sciences, biotechnology, medicine, politics, law, philosophy, and theology.
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The deadline for completion of this assignment is Monday Oct 6th!
By doing this assignment, you will acquire an appreciation of the complexity of issues facing today's medical researchers and practioners.
Questions? Ask in class or email doug@dougabshire.com Thanks, Mr.A
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14 comments:
i dont see an argument against this subject. it is used to benefit mankind, unless im missing something over here. is it considered animal abuse? il be honest im confused
I believe that animals such as sheep should not be genetically altered even for the benefit of humans. This can be considered animal cruelty, but usually scientists look over the fact that killing animals isnt right, just for the progress of human rights and personally I think that is wrong
Matt HHHHHHHHHHH
I think that sheep should be genetiacally altered for thier milk because there are numerous people who need to obtain that protein so it should be available to them. I think the fact thats people say its animal cruelty should get over the fact that its happening and just let it be becuase it is improving someones life.
Ricky G.
The use of transgenic sheep to produce human (AAT) is controversial because the sheep are bred and held captive for one purpose, to help people who can no longer produce their own (AAT) or currently suffer from cystic fibrosis. I support the use of milk from transgenic sheep in the fight that A1Ad sufferers go through to survive. It is currently being tested against for A1AD sufferers and for those with cystic fibrosis. I believe that as long as the sheep are taken care of they will not care whether someone takes there milk and uses it to better the lifes of some people who need it. So my stand on the issue of using transgenic sheeps milk for human (AAT) is that as long as no harm comes to the sheep then have at it.
Using transgenic sheep milk to harvest human AAT is bad because it holds sheep in captivity but also good because it helps people who are in between life and death situations and cannot produce there own AAT. I support the use of AAT from sheep milk to help people if it is not harming the sheep in anyway. If the use of a simple substance such as sheep milk can help people have better and healtier lives, then why not use it?
I think this is a relatively similar issue to the stem cell research issue. This is a situation where you are manipulating life; some people oppose it because of religious beliefs and more ethical concerns. It is understandable that it may seem like animal cruelty if you are altering the genetic coding for the sheep to produce milk that contains ATT.
However, from my point of view anything that is done in nature and doesn't necessarily harm it shouldn't be negated as a possibility to improve a human life or even save one. By altering the genetic coding a possibility arises to save someone with diseases such as cystic fibrosis, hepatitis, cirrhosis or lung problems like emphysema.
If the protein AAT is able to provide this protein to save a life I think it’s reasonable to keep sheep captive and then release them. The cure for many diseases is found in nature and it’s a give and take relationship so why not use it?
One opinion is that using any animal to be genetically altered is wrong. Animals such as sheep are harmed for our benefits.
On the other hand it is being used to help someones life. The sheeps milk is not wasted or being done for no reason. It saves people when they might be in a life or death situation. Since it is made not only to help, but to save people, i dont see why people would disagree with it.
[Yesenia]
I would have to say that one argument for the creation of transgenic sheep to produce human AAT would be that thanks to that creation many people will benefit from its use. People that cannot produce AAT will benefit by being able to insert the AAT ,produced from the transgenic sheep, into their bodies, therefore helping them with their lung and liver issues.
One argument against the creation of transgenic sheep to produce human AAT is that it seems to me like a type of animal abuse. I think that it is a type of animal abuse because we are alternating the natural growth of the sheep and making them produce something that they would normally not produce.
Science has always been rife with controversial topics. The genetic alteration of sheep to produce the AAT protein is just another example. The procedure itself is not what is pulled into question; it is the notion of capturing and raising these sheep in an unnatural environment after having changed their genetic makeup.
The benefits of this for the intended users, those suffering from A1AD which can cause hepatitis and cirrhosis as well as emphysema, are astronomical. How would you feel if you were told "rather than take these three pills, this shot, and these two tablets, we just need you to drink this milk on a regular basis"? The last thing on your mind is the fact that a few sheep have a little less room to roam and live in a barn instead of "the wild" (the thought of sheep in anything called wild always gets me). It would be different if the sheep were having limbs removed or were subjected to constant needles, shots, pills, and therapies. The reality of the matter is that after they're modified (which probably occurs closer to fetal status than anything else), the sheep are not put through any other testing than the testing of their milk for the presence of the AAT protein. The last time I checked, sheep aren't in any pain when you milk them, as long as you know what you're doing of course. These sheep are living a very comfortable lifestyle, with only a few "natural luxuries" missing, probably supplemented with cable T.V. or something. The point of the matter is, these sheep are not being harmed or tested on or anything abusive. They are but tools to produce the AAT protein in their milk, which they will produce naturally anyway.
The problems of this notion are few but powerful. The first and foremost of these concerns is the genetic modification of the sheep. It doesn't matter what stage of life the sheep is in, be it fetal, lamb, or adult. It is a fair assumption, given the time and effort we dedicate to ourselves, that most humans would not be willing to alter their genetic makeup, their DNA for any reason. This is a natural instinct of self-preservation: no one wants to change what makes them what and who they are. Another issue is the lifestyle conditions of the sheep. We know sheep don't live in the rugged mountains like their brethren the big-horned sheep, but they do have their own niche. They have a home, just as humans do. It is ethically inhumane to remove a species from its home to benefit another species' well-being. It would be a different story entirely if you could simply ask the sheep how they felt about it and whether or not they would like to go through with it. But you can't. Plain and simple.
I personally agree with the procedure and its efforts because like I said, the sheep aren't being harmed in any way. They're just producing different milk in an observed environment.
I believe that the use of transgenic sheep to produce human AAT is fine since people who cannot produce AAT will suffer. People who can benefit from this would be people who no longer can make their own AAT and people who suffer from cystic fibrosis.
It would be considered very controversial since the animals are being held captive. Many people will not like this and think of it as animal abuse even though it is to help people who cannot produce AAT. So I think that it is alright to genetically alter animals as long as you don't cause harm to animals and it is for a just cause.
I think that genetically altering the genes of sheep to help save and better ones life is fine. You're not changing the way the sheep live or their shape, so you're not hurting them in anyway. If the solution to helping people with lung and liver diseases is so simple why not use it.
There is no argument against using sheep in this way because i feel at least that the good out weighs the bad.
Here is an interesting, and from my point of view, disturbing fact, taken from "The Compassionate Carnivore" by Catherine Friend. In the book, there is a discussion about factory farms and the conditions of the animals in them. In the discussion of chickens, she states: "Factory farms know that cramming chickens into a cage stresses them out, so they have turned to science for help, which hasn't let them down in the past.... Scientists are currently working to alter the DNA of caged animals, looking for the gene that causes stress so that they can remove it. Perhaps the large poultry companies think if they can genetically alter a hen so that it doesn't mind being crammed tightly into a cage, then we consumers can relax and stop worrying about factory farming." Wow... just... wow. Something to think about.
Hi all. Thanks for your comments. We will revisit this issue when we look at ch 5 in our textbook titled "Genetic Engineering and its Applications". ATT is discussed in detail on page(s) 124 - 127. Of note are the arguments for and against genetic engineering listed on page 127. Mr. A
Normal sheep are strictly cattle -- they do not really exist in the wild. They are typically bred and raised on sheep farms where their fleece and milk are harvested for human use.
The process of genetic modification is not painful. Assuming that this genetic modification does not have some painful side effects, genetically modified sheep are no more or less happy than any other sheep.
I think the ethical question here is why are we helping to maintain humans in the gene pool whose genes create other humans that cannot survive WITHOUT help from genetically modified sheep? Is that not cruel to the (possible future) offspring of A1AD individuals? What happens, if, in the future, humans decide to stop breeding sheep, especially those that can produce AAT enzyme? Where will that leave all the people who were bred to be dependent on it?
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