A project that promises to inaugurate a new phase began in the United Kingdom biotechnology: the creation of DNA human from scratch. The initiative, funded with an initial contribution of £ 10 million from Wellcome Trust, the world’s largest medical charity organization, Build synthetic blocks of the human genomewith long -range medical applications.
The work represents an advance beyond what was achieved by the human genome project, completed 25 years ago, which mapped all human genes. Now the goal is to go beyond reading and go to construction: Create human DNA sequences in a synthetic waymolecule by molecule, inside laboratories, without the intention of generating life artificial.
Artificial Human DNA Project represents new horizon for medicine
According to the scientists involved, the main focus is the development of therapies against incurable diseases and the fight against aging. “We are looking at treatments that improve people’s lives over time, allowing aging with less diseases,” said Dr. Julian Sale of the MRC molecular biology laboratory in Cambridge, BBC.
Among the predicted possibilities is the creation of resistant cells illnessescapable of reconstruct damaged organslike liver and heart, or even reinforce the immune system. The team initially intends to develop increasing blocks of DNA, until it reaches the creation of a chromosome Complete human in laboratory.
Ethical Risks and concerns with misuse
- Despite the potential for medicine, the project faces criticism of experts and activists who fear inadequate uses of technology.
- “Science can be reused to cause damage or be used in biological wars,” warned Dr. Pat Thomas, director of Beyond GM organization to the BBC.
- Among the fears are the possibility of creating biological weapons, Modified Human Beings or even Creatures with human DNA.
- Professor Bill Earnshaw, from the University of Edinburgh, who developed methods to create artificial human chromosomes, said: “The genius came out of the bottle. Even with restrictions, if someone with the right equipment decides to start synthesizing anything, there is not much to do to prevent it.”
Ethical Reflection and Transparency
Wellcome Trust claims to have carefully considered risks before approving the financing. According to Dr. Tom Collins, responsible for the release of the investment, the decision was made in the face of the inevitability of technological advancement. “We asked what the cost of inaction would be. This technology will be developed one day; when doing this now, we seek to face the ethical issues responsible and openly,” he said.
For this, a parallel social program will accompany scientific development, coordinated by sociologist Joy Zhang of the University of Kent. The proposal is to include public opinion and experts in the debate on the social and moral impacts of the project. “We want to understand how the public relates to this technology, how it can benefit you and what your doubts and concerns are,” explained Zhang.
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The next step in genetic engineering
The project, baptized Synthetic Human Genome Projectwill be conducted entirely in controlled environments, such as test tubes and culture plates. Researchers make it clear that There are no plans to create synthetic living beings. Still, the initiative paves the way for unprecedented levels of manipulation and understanding of human living systems.
With the possibility of building DNA from scratch, scientists will be able to test new hypotheses about genetic functioning and seek solutions for mutation responsible for disease. “Today, we can only do this by changing the existing DNA. Synthetic construction allows us Test DNA in its most fundamental state”Explained Professor Matthew Hurles, director of Wellcome Sanger Institute.
The advance raises complex questions – technical, ethical and legal – about the property of synthetic genetic materialits possible uses and the limits of engineering genetics. The scientific community, in turn, states that transparency and public debate will be essential for benefits to overlap with risks.
