First Genetically Engineered Child: Welcome to the World of “Gattaca”
The first genetically engineered child is all over the news in the world. You may argue with me that this is not the first case because pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD), has already been used to free babies of inherited disorders such as cystic fibrosis and Huntington’s disease, so why this child is different? The answer is this:
…breast cancer is different because it does not inevitably affect a child from birth and may or may not develop later in life. There is also a chance it can be cured, if caught early enough. [1]
So, we are landing into completely different field here. In this case we are not talking about inevitable death, that would be caused by Huntington’s Disease (an inherited, progressive brain disorder [3]) or Cystic Fibrosis (the most common inherited fatal disease among children and young adults in the United States [4]), but rather some sort of assurance and psychological convenience that your pre-selected baby girl will have less likelihood to get breast cancer.
Not-too-distant future is now. Will genetic engineering alter the course of our society, will we reach the level which will empower us to take human evolution into our own hands? Are these hands the best and safest means to do this? Will we live in society where success is determined by the science and divided by the standards of genetic perfection? Does the future belong to genetically engineered / enhanced / modified individuals? To discuss these topics I would like to use movie Gattaca (1997) written and directed by Andrew Niccol as a base.
As Wikipedia beautifully describes the movie:
The film presents a bio-punk vision of a society driven by liberal eugenics. Children of the middle and upper classes are selected through pre-implantation genetic diagnosis to ensure they possess the best hereditary traits of their parents. A genetic registry database uses biometrics to instantly identify and classify those so created as Valids while those conceived by traditional means are derisively known as Faith Births, God Children and in-Valids. … The movie draws on concerns over reproductive technologies which facilitate eugenics, and the possible consequences of such technological developments for society. … Characters in Gattaca continually battle both with society and with themselves to find their place in the world and who they are destined to be according to their genes.
Main movie character Vincent tells us: “They used to say that a child conceived in love has a greater chance of happiness. They don’t say that anymore. I’ll never understand what possessed my mother to put her faith in God’s hands, rather than her local geneticist. Ten fingers, ten toes – that’s all that used to matter, not now….”
The fact that we can tell if a person is a “bad gene” carrier gives us a really big advantage. He/she could live a healthy life style that could lower disease risks naturally. Perhaps this will change vaccination sciences and will begin a new era of prenatal, early, and frequent genetic screenings.
Fast-paced research in medical science would also almost guarantee that by the time persons with ‘bad genes’ enter the risk age there will be a new cure available.
We know that some of the genes responsible for certain diseases (in this particular case BRCA1 gene increases breast cancer risk), but we also know that one gene may be responsible for many other abilities / properties of the human being. If that would be the case with BRCA1 gene, it would be quit possible, that removing this gene and decreasing cancer risk, we would also remove better musical or mathematical skills.
“I not only think that we will tamper with Mother Nature, I think Mother wants us to.” – Willard Gaylin
Vincent’s Father makes a statement before conceiving his brother:
“We were just wondering if, if it is good to just leave a few things to, to chance?”
Geneticist: “We want to give your child the best possible start. Believe me, we have enough imperfection built in already. Your child doesn’t need any more additional burdens. Keep in mind, this child is still you. Simply, the best, of you. You could conceive naturally a thousand times and never get such a result.”
“Consider God’s handiwork; who can straighten what He hath made crooked?” – Ecclesiastes 7:13
Soon we will have to borrow some term from this movie in order to describe ourselves from the genetic stand point like Faith Birth, God Child. There will be GMO individuals on one side and nonGMO on the other side.
Vincent brings also the social issue up: “I belonged to a new underclass, no longer determined by social status or the color of your skin. No, we now have discrimination down to a science.”
Well, we don’t have to go far away to see it in action – people in the United States are already discriminated against by insurance companies despite the fact that genetic screening is not broadly available. Of course we have the U.S. Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act signed into law on May 21, 2008, but who knows how effective it will be in reality?
Even at birth the whole individual is destined to die, and perhaps his organic disposition may already contain the indication of what he is to die from. – Sigmund Freud, 1924 [2]
A coda, cut from the final film, lists various people who have succeeded despite genetic deficiencies (and would be excluded in the modern society of Gattaca), such as Albert Einstein, Abraham Lincoln, and John F. Kennedy.
We can see this deleted footage here:
I would like to finish this article with these quotes from the movie:
“There’s no gene for the human spirit. There’s no gene for fate.”
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