Geneticist on a Mission to Bring Geneticists and Religious Leaders Together

[rug]

Ting Wu Helping to Bridge Religion and Gene-Editing



26 DEC 2016
POSTED BY DEREK WELCH

Ting Wu, a geneticist at Harvard Medical School studies the behavior and positioning of chromosomes to help the public understand genetics. She was an advisor for the television show Grey's Anatomy, has visited schools, and has briefed congressional aides.

Wu believes, in a time of increasingly available genetic tests, people should understand what scientific advances mean to them. There is a challenge to give knowledge to those communities who view science with suspicion. The reason for this attitude, she surmised, was that they were mistreated or underserved in the past. She believes the basic knowledge of genetics must surpass the walls of special summits and academic journals. Therefore, Wu is reaching out to religious leaders.

At a conference in the fall where she gathered scientists, community members, genetic counselors and pastors, she asked “Is it possible, because you’re so organized and there’s so much trust between you and your congregations, that faith leaders can help us?”

There is good reason for Wu to be proactive in her efforts. Bioethicists and religious leaders have long debated the morality behind genome editing, such as the editing of embryo genomes. It’s a revolution which is being led by people like famous geneticist George Church, Wu’s husband and colleague at Harvard Medical School.

http://www.worldreligionnews.com/?p=31871

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/gene-editing-religion-scientist/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

[Bretton Garcia]

1. Chinese are embracing human gene editing

It holds fantastic advantages ... and fantastic dangers. Ultimately, it's more powerful than atomic energy. When you start increasing the IQ of humanity.

Recently a Chinese geneticist in fact, created a genetically modified human embryo ... who is now a baby a year or two old.

The case involved a mother who carried a fatal gene, that had killed one or two of her children already. Given those odds, the geneticist stepped in.

No doubt though, there will be horrible errors in this field. Just talking to churches and ethicists, asking for their help, seems a little naive, in that case.

[rug]

2. Dr. Wu was born in New Haven.

Last year Dr. Junjiu Huang in Guangzhou modified one gene in a nonviable embryo, which obviously did not lead to a live birth.

http://www.nature.com/news/chinese-scientists-genetically-modify-human-embryos-1.17378

Earlier this year another human embryonic modification was performed in China.

http://www.sciencealert.com/scientists-genetically-modify-an-embryo-for-only-the-second-time-ever

A "three parent baby" was born in China this fall.

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/ldquo-three-parent-baby-rdquo-procedure-faces-new-hurdle/

A similar techniques was approved this month in the UK.

Clearly there are ethical concerns, religious and nonreligious, involved.

http://www.iflscience.com/health-and-medicine/world-s-first-genetically-modified-human-embryo-raises-ethical-concerns/

http://www.nature.com/news/three-parent-baby-claim-raises-hopes-and-ethical-concerns-1.20698

China's one child policy, which resulted in the destruction of disparate numbers of female embryos, itself has been modified, if for no other reason than demographic concerns.

Dr. Wu should be supported in addressing the ethics and implications of these procedures.

[Bretton Garcia]

3. Yes, you are partly right.