----- Original Message ----- From: David Burman <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >I think the issues in genetic engineering are not whether it is moral or >diabilical, but the introduction of hitherto unknown elements into the >natural world - mixing genes from different species in one organism. It is >not at all far fetched to imagine new human genetic diseases being >introduced from donor species, in the process of "curing" human diseases. >In the quest for perfection - but more realistically in the quest for new >markets - many new problems (with which we will have no experience) will be >introduced to complement the old ones that we are familiar with. In general, I agree with you David. But I believe an exception should be made to cure an epidemic that threatens to destroy all of civilization: the "baby epidemic". Africa has is just now reached its physical limits and is beginning a massive dieoff -- population control by increasing death rate instead of decreasing birth rate: "With their rising mortality trends, more reminiscent of the Dark Ages than the bright millennium so many had hoped for, these countries are falling back to an earlier demographic stage with high death rates and high birth rates, and no growth in population." [1] Long term carrying capacity estimates of planet Earth are around two billion [2] -- one third of present numbers. But there is much more humane solution to the "baby problem" than misery and death. If we were to simply treat the "baby problem" like the "smallpox problem", then our collective problem could be quickly solved. The most humane method I can imagine is "contagious contraceptives". See NEGATIVE POPULATION GROWTH: Why We Must, and How We Could, Achieve It, by John B. Hall, University of Hawaii. Population and Environment, Volume 18, Number 1, September 1996. Here is a sample: "The immune system, which usually functions to protect us from disease, but also is involved in allergies and the rejection of transplanted organs, can be harnessed to contraception (Anderson & Alexander, 1983; Aldhous, 1994). A contraceptive vaccine has been suggested for veterinary use (Miller & Dean, 1993). In this application, the female animal to be sterilized is injected with preparations of the zone pellucida (the outer envelope of the egg cell) from a different species of animal. The injected female responds to this foreign material by producing antibodies against it. These antibodies, however, also recognize the different but related material on her own eggs, a process called 'cross-reaction,' and attack these, destroying them. The death of these egg cells in the ovary releases the controls on maturation of immature egg cells and they begin to develop. As they approach maturity, they are also recognized by the immune system and destroyed in turn. A run-away cycle of maturation and destruction follows, and within a few months all of the potential egg cells in the animal's ovary have matured and been destroyed, and the female has been nonsurgically sterilized (Skinner, et al, 1984). Such a dramatic procedure would probably have little application in human contraception except in rare cases in which the person concerned wished to be sterilized, and since it would probably induce menopause, is unlikely to be acceptable even then. However, many less absolute contraceptive actions can also be mediated by the immune system. "Many cases of natural infertility occur because the woman produces antibodies against sperm which are recognized as foreign bodies by her tissues (Bronson, et al, 1984). Vaccines could probably be developed that would stimulate more women to produce such antibodies with a corresponding decrease in their fertility (Primakoff, et al, 1988; Primakoff, 1994). In yet another approach, women have been vaccinated with peptide sequences similar to those found in certain hormones involved in reproduction (Talwar et al, 1993; Talwar et al, 1994). Very effective vaccines can be produced by splicing gene segments for the desired peptide sequences into some of the genes of the vaccinia virus (Moss, et al, 1984; Talwar et al, 1993; Talwar et al, 1994) and then using this virus to vaccinate the subject, just as it was used to vaccinate against smallpox. The peptide sequences produced by the virus stimulate antibody formation, the antibodies would cross react with the naturally occurring hormone in the woman's body, and reproduction could be inhibited. Many such alternatives that harness the immune system in the service of contraception are available." This paper is archived at: http://dieoff.com/page119.htm I realize some of you don't have web access, so I setup an autoresponder. If you will send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] and a you will receive a complete text version of Hall's paper by return email. Jay ----------------------------- [1] http://www.worldwatch.org/pubs/paper/143.html [2] http://dieoff.com/page157.htm
