Vital Signs
SHOW #13 (airs Thurs 26th Nov)
Genetic Engineering
THE PROMISE OF GENETICS
Adding to your family has always involved a bit of mystery: will it be a boy? Or a girl? We know the science exists to help select sex, but now gender selection is more accurate -- going from novel to more mainstream. The technology was originally created to identify embryos with genetic disease. But critics are troubled by the use of this technology for a non-medical reason, and some say even preventing genetic disorders manipulates mother nature. Where do we draw the line? The rapid growth of genetic technology is changing the practice of medicine and presenting complex practice decisions. We introduce you to families who are making reproductive decisions that weren't possible twenty years ago. What would you choose?
MONKEYING WITHMITOCHONDRIA
"Playing God" is a criticism often directed at those pushing the boundaries of genetic science. Scientists in Oregon have reignited that debate after producing monkeys from the genetic material of two mothers. The new technique might provide a way for women with mitochondrial disease to have children and pass on their genetic traits - without their defective genetic material. But because the technique permanently alters part of the offspring's DNA, critics fear it may open a path to modifying a baby's DNA to select for desired traits.
RUSSIA TACKLES ITS DEMONS
In Russia, alcohol has long been a way of life. The country has one of the highest per-capita rates of alcohol consumption in the world; this drinking is twice what the World Health Organization calls the "danger level." In some parts of the country, alcohol abuse is killing off half the population. Senior International Correspondent Matthew Chance reports on the country's brave new crusade against an old demon.
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