As you may know the government grants millions of dollars to fund research for potential medical treatments for numerous ailments. One area of research is into potential cures for muscular dystrophies. The people overseeing these grants have heard from a number of individuals and organizations with questions and concerns about the technologies being used by people who want the treatment for purposes other than medical treatments. One example of particular note are the concerns broupt up by the international athletic communities. They have concerns that the technologies would be sought by athletes to give them an competitive advantage. For these and other reasons discussion of the genetic modification of muscles has been chosen to serve as the specific example of genetically modifying humans at our hearings on applications of biotechnology.
Please answer the following questions in your presentation:
What problems are genetically modified muscles dealing with?
Who would it benefit from the technology?
What are athletes doing now and what have they done in the past to enhance their performance?
Are there ways to deter athletes from using the technology?
Can the modification be screened for and/or detected?
What genetic techniques are involved in this process?
Is this safe for people?
How close are we to actually getting this done?
What are the major ethical issues are involved in the genetic alteration of muscles?
What is the ethical difference between changing muscles to address disabilities caused by disease and changing muscles for enhancement purposes?
Do we know enough about these technologies yet to sufficiently address the ethical questions they raise?
Ultimately, do you recommend genetically altering muscles in humans?
You may include other information as you see fit. A question and answer session will follow your presentation. Please prepare accordingly.
Thank you in advance for your work,
Congressperson Robert Wilson
Independed - Colorado
