The Secret of Life: Part II
Children by Design

1. What are the symptoms of cystic fibrosis (C.F.)?

2. Describe the genetic defect that causes C.F.

3. What is gene therapy?

4. Explain how the common cold virus could be used to deliver genes to the lungs of C.F. patients.

5. With Alzheimer’s Disease, the brain gradually deteriorates. One rare form of the disease runs in families. If a test was available to learn whether or not you have the defective gene, list some arguments for and against getting tested. There is still no cure.

6. How do you feel about the screening of embryos for defects, and the selective abortion of defective ones?

7. Why are repeat treatments of gene therapy necessary even though corrected genes are inserted into the cells of the body.

8. What is the difference between treating the symptoms of a disease and treating the cause a disease. (Why is it a bad idea for an athlete to take pain killers and keep performing?)

9. If we can fix bad genes, it won’t be long before we start deciding what is bad. Is it acceptable to adjust “cosmetic” features such as skin color, height, etc? What kind of a world would we be creating?

10. Recently a group of deaf people made the argument that they are not in any way handicapped, and would not seek a cure if one was available. Should a cure be forced upon such people or their children if one existed?

11. Should health insurance companies be allowed to know our genetic defects when deciding whether or not to cover us?

12. In a recent science fiction book called “Beggars in Spain” the author speculated on how society might be affected if a gene was discovered that created people who didn’t require sleep. Discuss this idea.