我们离转基因人类有多远?

2014-10-08 16:59:17来源：可可英语

　　Developers of these modification techniques say they are a way for women with mitochondrialdisease to give birth to healthy children to whom they are related genetically. Some are alsopromoting their use for age-related infertility. These are worthy goals. But these proceduresare deeply problematic in terms of their medical risks and societal implications. Will the childbe born healthy, or will the cellular disruptions created by this eggs-as-Lego-pieces approachlead to problems later on? What about subsequent generations? And how far will we go in ourefforts to engineer humans?

　　基因修改技术的开发人员称，使用这种技术可以让患有线粒体疾病的女性生下健康的孩子，同时与孩子还有基因关联。另外一些人强调这种技术可用于与年龄相关的不孕不育。这些都是有价值的目标。但是这些手段在医疗风险和社会意义方面有着深层次的问题。生下的孩子是不是健康，或者，这种拿细胞当乐高积木的方法产生的细胞干扰是否会导致日后的问题?后代又会如何?我们在人类转基因上将要走多远?

　　These sorts of concerns were first voiced decades ago, well before the human genome hadeven been "mapped." Those were the days when our accelerating knowledge about geneticsled to over-optimistic hopes for quick fixes to an array of afflictions and grandiose visions ofdesigning genetically enhanced babies to be more intelligent, athletic, musically talentedand the like.

　　这些都是几十年前就已经提出的担忧，而那时连对人类基因组的“绘图”都远未开始。在那个年代，遗传学的迅速发展令我们产生了过分乐观的希望，认为它可以帮我们找到治疗诸多疾病的捷径，并描画出经过基因改善的婴儿的宏伟设计蓝图，希望通过改进把孩子变得更聪明，在运动和音乐等方面更具天赋。

　　More recently, many scholars, scientists and policy makers have urged a different approach:We should carefully and thoughtfully apply the tools of human genetic engineering to treatmedical conditions in people, but we should not use them to manipulate the genetic traits offuture children. Genetic modifications of sperm, eggs and early embryos should be strictly offlimits. Otherwise, we risk venturing into human experimentation and high-tech eugenics.

　　而近些年来，许多学者、科学家和政策制定者开始呼吁选择另一种路线：我们应该小心而周密地去运用人类基因手段治疗疾病，但我们不应该用这些手段去操控未来孩子的基因性状。精子、卵子和早期胚胎的基因修改应该受到严格限制，否则我们就可能陷入人类实验和高科技优生学的危险境地。

　　Unfortunately, there are now worrisome signs that opposition to inheritable geneticmodifications, written into law by dozens of countries, according to our count, may beweakening. British regulators are also considering mitochondrial manipulations, andproponents there, like their counterparts in the United States, want to move quickly to clinicaltrials.

　　不幸的是，目前出现了一些令人担忧的迹象，根据我们的统计，对遗传性基因修改的抵触正在减弱——这种修改在许多国家是被法律禁止的。英国监管机构也在考虑线粒体操控技术，那里的倡导者跟在美国的同道一样，希望尽快展开临床试验。

　　Researchers at Oregon Health and Science University have produced five macaque monkeysusing one of these techniques. Four are now adults and all five appear healthy. But we won'tknow for years how subsequent generations may be affected.

　　俄勒冈健康与科学大学(Oregon Health and Science University)的研究人员使用其中一项技术培养了五只猕猴。五只猴子目前看来都是健康的，其中四只已经成年。但我们要再等几年才能知道后代会受到什么影响。

本文关键字: 我们离转基因人类有多远?