I read a bit about genetic engineering and came across 2 different kinds of it,
the first type, Somatic gene therapy, happens after birth and is used to treat specific areas of the body by editing specific somatic cells genomes.
the second type, Germline gene therapy, happens before birth and is done by modifying the genetic code of a germ cell so that the entire organism which sprouts from it will have a modified genetic makeup.
and it raised a question in my mind.
let's say you have a terrible inherited disease which is treatable by somatic gene therapy, so you pay a tremendous amount of money and go through a strenuous amount of procedures and check ups, until finally after a couple of years of treatment you are finally declared cured.
by the very definition of somatic gene therapy, your treatments did not change your germ cells, which means your disease would be carried on to your offspring so that they would have to undergo the same obnoxious treatments him/her self...
if you want to save them from this dreadful fate you would have to use germline gene therapy which is both illegal and (sometimes) immoral.
and even if they will someday become legal for use in certain situations and you will be given permission to use it, you will still be wasting time money and effort on something you got rid of once before, and force your loved one to get involved in it as well...
so my question is this:
is it possible to have in the foreseeable future a research that aims to change an adult entire genetic makeup so that his/her new genetic code will spread to each and every cell in his body including his/her germ cells?
further more, do you know of any research that is trying to accomplish this today?
