Pro: Ana, Lucas

Con: Arthur, Mateus

Resolution: Gene therapy is beneficial for society and follows an ethical

conduct.

Ana Constructive Affirmative

Introduction: Have you ever thought that you could have been born with an IQ

above normal? that you could have been born with extraordinary strength? Well, my

name is Ana and I come to tell you that this would be possible through gene

therapies, which, by the way, I am in favor of.

Main point: Between 2018 and 2019, doctor He Jiankui genetically modified three

babies using the CRISPR-Cas9 method, so that they would undergo a mutation so

that they would be immune to the HIV virus.

But firstly, what's the CRISPR-Cas9 method? It is a genome editing tool that is

creating a buzz in the science world. It is faster, cheaper and more accurate than

previous techniques of editing DNA and has a wide range of potential applications.

Because it was an illegal practice, he was arrested but last year, in 2022, he was

released and gave an interview to the South China Morning Post, where he reported

that currently the babies are leading a normal, peaceful and undisturbed life.

Now think with me, if a doctor has already managed to create a human mutation

where people are immune to the HIV virus, imagine everything that would be

possible to do through gene therapy, how many thousands of people could be cured

and how many diseases could be eradicated.

greater longevity, so that we can have a life where we don't need to worry about

diseases, for example, and I believe that through gene therapy and the modification

of human DNA would it be possible.

Arthur Constructive Negative

Introduction: My name is Arthur and have you ever thought that if you were born

through gene therapy your free will would have been violated and you will have to

carry a burden that you did not choose to. ‘We cannot play God with changes in the

human genome’, warns the UN. That is a concern for united nations and the

international bioethics committee (IBC), “The great fear is that we may be trying to

“play God” with unpredictable consequences” and in the end precipitating our own

destruction”, warned former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, on an ONU

assembly in 2004. Genetic modification gives too much power on the hand of the

doctor and the person who purchased this product.

I am against gene therapy because it is potentially risky for the individual, it is

still in the experimental phase, so we don’t know the possible outcomes, and it

does not follow an ethical conduct.

Main point:

1) Potentially dangerous still in the experimental phase, it means that many

guinea pigs, in this case humans, may die along the way. Adding new genes

to a nucleus does not guarantee they will go where desired, with potentially

disastrous results if they insert in the wrong place,also the vectors may deliver

the DNA to cells other than the target cells, with unforeseen results. The
 danger objection points out that a few recent attempts at gene

therapy in clinical trials have made headlines because of the tragic

deaths of some of the people participating in the trials

2) It isn’t ethical, at the same time it could be used for the good, like curing

diseases, it can be used by the ego of some people. Genetically engineered

people will be alienated from themselves, or feel a confused identity, or no

longer feel human, or the human race will feel alienated from itself. People

will be alienated from other humans and prejudice may grow against those

people.

Therefore scientific progress should always follow ethics and it is an unforeseen

territory.

Ana e Arthur Crossfire

Ana: Arthur, I have a question for you: How can you be so sure this would go

wrong? Because as I said, three babies who were genetically modified actually have

a normal life.

Arthur: The problem is that it isn’t 100% accurate. There are some news about a

failed gene therapy such as the gene inserted into a boy's cells to cure the disease

accidentally "landed" in the genome near a cancer-causing gene, said yesterday

Christof von Kalle, a doctor from Cincinnatti (USA) who collaborates with the French

in developing the therapy to treat immune deficiency severe combined disease —

the "bubble boy" disease. Presented by folhadesãopaulo.com.

Arthur said that gene therapy is risky because it is in the experimental phase and

we don’t know the possible outcomes, but I disagree because with this technology

we were able to make newborn babies immune to HIV, and what this method does is

just taking something that already exists and adding it to the DNA. Therefore, genetic

modification can make life easier, and not with more problems as Arthur said.

main point:

First of all, in recent years, it has been reported that two babies were born with

gene mutations that gave them unusual strength, such as the little boy Liam

Hoekstra, who at just two days old was already able to support his own weight due to

a mutation in his DNA that made your body produce muscle very quickly. After

studies and analyses, doctor Anneleen Stinckens, from the Catholic University of

Leuven, Belgium, pointed out that after the discovery of this mutation, it is possible to

cure diseases that involve muscle atrophy and even with an advanced level of

studies, in a future that is not so far away to create super humans who can contain

this new mutation, and thus have great strength. In addition, It is ethical because

with the CRISPR-Cas9 method, scientists were able to make newborn babies that

were immune to HIV, and besides giving them an immunity, the other factors are still

like all the regular people, what gives them an opportunity to live regular lives, not

inferring in the ethical part of it. Also, every technology before being developed has

to go through an experimental phase, and this gene therapy method is not any

different. Considering this, it is a necessary risk for only a few in order to make the

lives of many others better.

Ana said that it is possible to modify people through gene therapy in favor of

changing specific characteristics and excluding others, such as to cure and eradicate

diseases, for example the HIV virus. But I disagree, we do not know how the human

body would react , it could cause new problems that we do not know how to solve,

according to researchers from MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology), “In fact,

the team did not reproduce the known mutation. Instead, they created new

mutations, which might lead to HIV resistance, but might not” about the case of

Jiankui.

Another example proves it with germline and hereditary human genome editing,

which alter the genome of human embryos and can be transmitted to subsequent

generations, modifying the characteristics of descendants.

Though, the modifications of gene could cause some sort of inequality , once that the

access to it is expensive, so it is not everyone that can afford it

Also, genetic modification is a version of eugenics and evokes memories of the

historical eugenics movement of the earlier part of the twentieth century in America

and Nazi Germany. “Eugenics” is the view that we should improve the genetics of

the human race; often advocated are such practices as selective breeding, forced

sterilization of people with genetic disorders or undesirable characteristics or traits,

people with disabilities, people of other races, people of other ethnic groups. It

probably reached an extreme form in Nazi Germany, where mass exterminations

took place, but eugenics sentiments existed prior to that in the U.S. These practices

are now largely viewed as morally abhorrent. Critics of genetic modification see it as

an attempt at eugenics through technology.

Lucas: First of all, CRISPR-Cas, which for the entire area of science is considered a

more practical, fast, precise and effective way, in addition to also having a lower cost to carry

out. Through a report by doctor Drauzio Varella, he says that the cheapest gene therapy

currently on the market is CRISPR-Cas, this way, it is more accessible to the entire

population, and thus, it has once again revolutionized the modern era. So saying that gene

therapy is going to generate social disparity, do you also refer to the CRISPR-Cas9

method?

Mateus: Yes, Because even if it is considered a cheaper method compared to

others, it still is expensive when we are talking about the reality of the population in

our society. Though CRISPR-Cas 9 is not the unique method that is used in genetic

modification, this way we have other methods that are very expensive, for example

the CAR-T cells to deal with cancer that costs about 400.000 dollars, according to

HermoCentro RP from USP.

-----------------------------------no new arguments --------------------------------------------------

Ana Summary Speech affirmative

As Lucas and I said, through gene therapy, especially the CRISPR-Cas9 method, it

is possible for the human species to have a lifestyle where we do not need to worry

about many diseases that could be prevented. If we create super humans, with

super strength, for example, it would be guaranteed that we would have greater
security or it would also be possible to carry out countless activities that are only

possible to be carried out through machines, with a person with an IQ above normal,

we could develop more and more In our society, we could create more practical

methods for carrying out tasks, in addition to the fact that with a person with an IQ

above normal, they would very possibly discover things about us and the world that

are not possible due to our limitations. Creating superhumans would be breaking

barriers, breaking our limitations, creating a revolution that is essential for humanity.

Arthur Summary Speech negative

With all this being said there are five main points against gene therapy and

engineering: It is potentially dangerous, it is not ethical, the power that gene therapy

gives to the people may clash with bad intentioned people, it would create inequality

between people who can and can’t afford this therapy and can reinforce eugenicist

ideas.

Research: According to BBC, Many countries ban the practice altogether, allowing

gene editing tools to be used only on non-reproductive adult cells.

In the United Kingdom, for example, scientists can carry out gene editing research

on embryos discarded from in vitro fertilization, but it is prohibited to allow them to

develop into a fetus.

Conclusion: Therefore, this type of procedure carries an ethical problem that is

already banned in some countries. Giving more emphasis to the risks.

grand crossfire
Arthur: If there is an accident regarding gene therapy, who will be responsible?

because a life has just been mowed.

Ana: I will answer through an example. When I said about the 3 babies that were

genetically modified, we don't know what could happen in the future of their lives. In

this way, doctor He Jiankui has already predicted what can be done, it would first be

possible to create a health plan paid for by those who financed the project or the

government itself could help with the treatment of children, in addition it would also

be possible for ordinary people, who It has nothing to do with the case, also help with

financing if you wish.

Lucas: To the argument about not knowing how the human body would react to the

gene therapy, wouldn’t we just run tests to acknowledge what could happen?

Mateus: Yes, but this modification could cause damages to the person who receives

the treatment, causing unexpected and maybe unknown consequences to the health

of the patient, leading to debilitations, deformations and other troubles.

Lucas final focus

In light of the arguments made in today's debate, we have upheld the resolution……

because the new gene therapy CRISPR-Cas9 method, and gene therapy in general

gave us a chance of creating new generations that are already immune to HIV and

other diseases, as well as having an increase in capabilities such as strength, speed

and intelligence. And in conclusion, we would not be creating something new, but

just copying the genes that already exist, but just for a few people.

Mateus final focus

that genetic modification is an area that can be considered new because we do not

know future consequences of the application of this. It can be harmful to the society

and to the humans, once it can be considered a non-ethical practice, cause

inequality in the society due to the price of treatments, it also can cause health

problems in the future to the ones who receive the treatment developing unknown

and unexpected characteristics.

https://biolyse.ca/gene-therapy-pros-and-cons/

https://medicine.missouri.edu/centers-institutes-labs/health-ethics/faq/gene-therapy