Prolonging Life with Technology - Is Quality Being Lost?

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of the child, and because it is a huge proof of concept that you can cure someone if you can treat them early enough.” The announcement was another piece of hopeful news recently about the virus that causes AIDS. Scientists have also reported that injections of long-lasting AIDS drugs fended off infection in monkeys, and researchers announced a “gene editing” advance that might enable immune cells to repel the virus. (McNeil, A1) Progress in research through the use of technology will improve the quality of life for those living with an AIDS and HIV-positive diagnosis as they now may have an opportunity to live with the disease in remission in the very near future.

An area of science that is currently gaining significant growth is the study of genetics. Genetics research is producing some very forward thinking results and ideas that are opening possibilities in medical advancement that not too long ago were just in the pages of science fiction novels. One such study involves the sequencing of the human genome and the advent of computerized tools for searching through thousands of genes at once. Excitement is mounting among biologists that the secrets of longer life will be laid bare in the next two to three decades. In the past 10 years, scientists have had astounding success in doubling and tripling the lives of simple organisms such as fruit flies, yeast, and microscopic worms, and more complex ones such as mice. More biologists now say it’s conceivable that human beings could be rejiggered to live 150 or 160 years. (Kinkead, p 64). Additionally, there has been another breakthrough in DNA research that could lead us in unimagined directions of research. Scientists have discovered a second code hiding within DNA. This second code contains information that changes how scientists read the instructions contained in DNA and interpret mutations to make sense of health and disease. The genetic code uses a 64-letter alphabet called codons. The UW team discovered that some codons, which they called duons, can have two meanings, one related to protein sequence, and one related to gene control. These two meanings seem to have evolved in concert with each other. The gene control instructions appear to help stabilize certain beneficial features of proteins and how they are made. The discovery of duons has major implications for how scientists and physicians interpret a patient’s genome and will open new doors to the diagnosis and treatment of disease. The opportunity through this technology could be to treat disease at the DNA level, which would expand our cures to everything that can affect a human being. (Seiler, n.p.)

The recent research into human DNA gives us an answer to the detractors of prolonging life through technology. It has been their opinion that technology has lengthened the lives of humans, but at a negative cost. The example given often is the elderly patient that has a pacemaker, regulating his heart and prolonging his life from ending due to a heart attack, but then develops dementia and spends years living a life where they cannot even feed themselves. They ask, “What kind of quality of life has the technology provided for him?” (Lee n.p.) They are just asking the question at the wrong time. We have not solved the challenges of medically treating dementia and many other diseases. We have solved a lot in the last generation and our lives are longer and better because of those solutions that technology has afforded us. Many current breakthroughs are very promising and vast amounts of research are being conducted on many health issues. Time is all we need and due to our expanded life span due to technology and advanced health medicine, we now have it.

Works Cited

Kinkead, Gwen. "The Very Radical Business of Long Life and Eternal Youth." Worth February 2001: 62+. SIRS Issues Researcher. 8 March 2014.

Lee, Thomaas. "Medical Technology prolongs lives. But is that a good thing?" MedCityNews 29 June 2010: n.p. Web. 10 March 2014. <http://medcitynews.com/2010/06/medical-technology-prolongs-lives-but-is-that-a-good-thing/>.

Lowry, Colin. "Promising Cancer Vaccines Move from Lab to Clinic." 21st Century Science & Technology Spring 2000: 70+. SIRS Issues Researcher. 10 March 2014.

McNeil, Donald G. "Early Treatment is Found to Clear H.I.V. in a 2nd Baby." New York Times 5 March 20141: A1. Web. 10 March 2014. <http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/06/health/second-success-raises-hope-for-a-way-to-rid-babies-of-hiv.html>.

Seiler, Stephanie H. "Scientists Discover Double Meaning in Genetic Code." University of Washington, UW Health Sciences & UW Medicine 12 December 2013: n.p. Web. 10 March 2014. <http://www.washington.edu/news/2013/12/12/scientists-discover-double-meaning-in-genetic-code/>.