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The Future of Oncogene Treatments

 

 

As stated in this website oncogene treatment is currently being tested on transgenic mice.  But what does this mean for humans?  Can these exciting results ever be applied to humans?  Is this the next big step in eliminating deaths to cancer?

 

Before getting too excited one must consider that scientists still have a way to go before using this treatment on humans.  As said earlier oncogene treatment has been tested on transgenic mice with wonderful results.  Transgenic mice are mice bred to have a certain genetic mutation.  So the treatments discussed on this website have only been tested on mice that have a certain mutation in one of their genes.  The next step is to test oncogene treatment on regular lab mice.  This will help show if the tests work on mice without any mutations.  If results prove positive in this area possible treatments for humans will be even more promising.  After testing on regular lab mice the next step would be to test on humans. 

 

There are many specific rules to follow, paperwork to do, and permission to attain in order to test on humans.  However the only way to discover of this treatment works on humans is to test on human subjects.  Yet as stated earlier this is a lengthy process to undertake.  The first seemingly logical test to use on humans would be to test transgenic humans.  However there is no way one can test this treatment on transgenic humans because there are no transgenic humans.  The only way to attain transgenic humans is through human cloning.  The cloning of humans is a very, very sensitive topic.  It brings up many ethical issues.  Currently there are some scientists working toward their goal of cloning humans.  However many in the medical, scientific, and political communities and many laypersons are hesitant and resistant to human cloning.  If one were to make transgenic humans testing this treatment might prove more ethically, in one light.  However our goal is not to argue either way on the topic of cloning and we will leave this topic to personal discussion for the time being.  That is until we become the members of the medical, scientific, political, and other decision making communities…

 

 

 

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Group Number 7

www.biology.arizona.edu/honors2002/group7/home07.htm

Last Updated: 12/5/02