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Article: U. of Pa. wants patent to alter animals' sperm cells. (Originated from Knight-Ridder Newspapers)
- Article from:
- Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service
- Article date:
- April 7, 1994
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1994 Knight-Ridder/Tribune News Service. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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PHILADELPHIA _ The University of Pennsylvania has applied for a patent to genetically alter sperm cells in animals so traits passed down from one generation to the next could be changed.
Although the application focuses on experiments with animals, it suggests that the technique might be used in humans as well.
The patent application, reported Thursday by The New Scientist, a British journal, raises fundamental issues that have been debated for years but always seemed too theoretical to be taken seriously.
Now, the debate may begin in earnest.
Critics contend that so-called germ-line gene therapy, which would alter the DNA in nascent sperm cells, raises the ...