Risk vs. Reward: stem cells & gene therapy in the womb

http://www.sigmaaldrich.com/life-science/stem-cell-biology/ipsc.html

Stem cells are being studied in a regenerative, cell-based capacity to treat many different conditions - insulin-producing beta cells for Type I diabetics, retinal epithelial cells to restore vision in the blind, and cardiomyocytes to repair severely damaged hearts just to name a few. Imagination seems to be the limit for the potential applications of stem cells to treat most of the diseases and maladies we experience.

A new medical procedure, highlighted in Meera Senthilingam's article in NewScientist 'Fetal healing: Curing congenital diseases in the womb', combines the pluripotency (ability to become virtually any cell and tissue type) of stem cells with gene therapy techniques (ability to introduce or remove specific sequences of DNA) and holds the promise of curing congenital diseases (diseases associated with known genetic mutations such as cystic fibrosis & sickle-cell anemia). The treatment is being extensively tested in animals for safety and effectiveness, but could become reality for humans in 5-10 years.

The prospect of preventing stillbirths and infant-deaths, and eliminating the suffering of people with debilitating illnesses is incredible, but could also open the door for unnecessary or enhancing genetic manipulations. I'm excited to see how this incredible technology progresses, but with moral and ethical implications attached, I think public education and discussion are crucial to its successful implementation.