Ukukha imibungu: Esinye isinyathelo esiya kubantwana abaklami?

• About the Author:
• Igama lomlobi

  I-Quantumrun Foresight
• Mashi 3, 2023

Ucwaningo oluningi lwesayensi lukhombe ukuhlukahluka kofuzo okuhlotshaniswa nezici ezithile noma izimo ku-genome yomuntu. Abanye ososayensi baphikisa ngokuthi lokhu kwaziswa kungasetshenziswa ukuze kuhlolwe imibungu ukuze kutholwe lezi zici phakathi ne-in vitro fertilization (IVF). Ukutholakala okukhulayo nezindleko eziphansi zalezi zinsizakalo zokuhlola inzalo kwenze ezinye izazi zezimiso zokuziphatha zikhathazeke ngokuthi zingase zethule uhlobo olwamukelekayo emphakathini lwe-eugenics enqubweni yokuzala yomuntu emhlabeni jikelele.

Ukukhetha imibungu umongo

Ukuhlolwa kofuzo kuvele ekuhloleni nje isakhi sofuzo esisodwa esibangela isifo esithile, njenge-cystic fibrosis noma isifo sika-Tay-Sachs. Ngo-2010 kwaba nokukhuphuka okumangazayo kwevolumu yocwaningo oluxhumanisa ukuhlukahluka kwezakhi zofuzo nezici ezithile nezifo. Lokhu okutholwe kuvumela ososayensi ukuba bahlaziye umehluko omningi omncane wezakhi zofuzo ku-genome yomuntu ukuze banqume isilinganiso sengozi ye-polygenic, okungamathuba okuthi umuntu angaba nesici esithile, isimo, noma isifo. Lawa maphuzu, avame ukunikezwa izinkampani ezifana ne-23andMe, asetshenziselwe ukuhlola ubungozi bezimo ezifana nesifo sikashukela sohlobo 2 nomdlavuza wamabele kubantu abadala. 

Kodwa-ke, izinkampani ezihlola izakhi zofuzo ziphinde zinikeze la maphuzu kubantu abenza i-IVF ukuze babasize bakhethe ukuthi yimuphi umbungu okufanele awufake. Izinkampani ezifana ne-Orchid, okuhloswe ngayo ukusiza abantu ukuba babe nezingane ezinempilo, zinikeza ukwelulekwa ngofuzo oluhlanganisa lolu hlobo lokuhlaziya. Enye inkampani, ebizwa ngokuthi i-Genomic Prediction, inikeza ukuhlolwa kofuzo ngaphambi kokufakelwa kwe-polygenic disorders (PGT-P), okuhlanganisa amathuba okuba sengozini yezimo ezinjenge-schizophrenia, umdlavuza nesifo senhliziyo.

Izimpikiswano zezimiso zokuthi ingabe imibungu kufanele ilahlwe ngokusekelwe kumaphuzu e-IQ abikezelwe angqubuzana nempikiswano yokuthi abazali kufanele bakhethele izingane zabo okungcono kakhulu. Ososayensi abaningana baxwayisa ngokuthatha amaphuzu ezingozi ngevelu yawo njengoba inqubo engemuva kwamaphuzu e-polygenic iyinkimbinkimbi, futhi imiphumela ayihlali inemba ngaso sonke isikhathi. Ezinye izici ezinjengokuhlakanipha okuphezulu zihlobene nokuphazamiseka kobuntu. Futhi kufanele kuqashelwe ukuthi lawa maphuzu asekelwe ekuhlaziyweni kwedatha ye-Eurocentric, ngakho-ke kungenzeka ukuthi angekho kumaki kubantwana bakwamanye amadlozi. 

Umthelela ophazamisayo 

Okunye okukhathazayo kokusebenzisa amaphuzu ezingozi ukuze ukhethe umbungu “okahle” amandla okudala umphakathi lapho abantu abanezici ezithile zofuzo noma izici bebhekwa njengabafiseleka kakhulu noma “abangcono kakhulu.” Lo mkhuba ungaholela ekuqhubekeni nokucwaswa nokubandlululwa kwabantu abangenazo lezi zici “ezifiselekayo”. Kukhona futhi amandla okusebenzisa lobu buchwepheshe ukukhulisa ukungalingani okukhona kwezenhlalo nezomnotho. Ngokwesibonelo, ake sithi yilabo kuphela abakwazi ukukhokhela izindleko ze-IVF nokuhlolwa kofuzo abangafinyelela lobu buchwepheshe. Uma kunjalo, kungase kuholele esimeni lapho abantu abakhethiwe kuphela noma amaqembu angaba nezingane ezinezici ezikhethwe ngesandla.

Kungenzeka futhi ukuthi ukusetshenziswa kwalezi zindlela zobuchwepheshe kungase kubangele ukuncipha kokuhlukahluka kwezakhi zofuzo, njengoba abantu bengase bakhethe imibungu enezici ezifanayo. Okokugcina, kubalulekile ukuqaphela ukuthi lezi zivivinyo zokuhlola kanye nezikolo zengozi aziphelele futhi ngezinye izikhathi zingaveza imiphumela engalungile noma edukisayo. Le ndlela enganele ingase iholele abantu ukuba banqume ukuthi yimiphi imibungu okufanele bayifake ngokusekelwe olwazini olunganembile noma olungaphelele.

Kodwa-ke, emazweni anenkinga yokukhulisa inani labantu bawo, ukuvumela izakhamuzi zawo ukuba zikhethe imibungu enempilo kakhulu kungaholela ekutheni kuzalwe izingane eziningi. Amazwe amaningana asethuthukile kakade abhekene nenani labantu asebekhulile elinezizukulwane ezincane ezinganele ukuba zisebenze futhi zisekele asebekhulile. Ukuxhasa izinqubo ze-IVF kanye nokuqinisekisa ukuthi izingane ezinempilo kungasiza le minotho ukuthi iphile futhi ichume.

Imithelela yokukha imibungu

Imithelela ebanzi yokukha imibungu ingase ihlanganise:

• Ubuchwepheshe bokuzala budlulela ngale kwe-IVF ukuya ekukhulelweni kwemvelo, abanye abantu baze baqede ukukhulelwa ngokusekelwe ekubikezelweni kofuzo.
• Ukwandisa izingcingo eziya esenzweni kubakhi benqubomgomo ukuze balawule ukuhlolwa kombungu, okuhlanganisa nokuqinisekisa ukuthi le nketho ixhaswa futhi ifinyeleleka kuwo wonke umuntu.
• Imibhikisho ephikisana nezindaba ezinjengokucwaswa kwezingane ezingazange zihlolwe ulibofuzo.
• Amafemu engeziwe we-biotech asebenza ngezinsizakalo zombungu kwabashadile abafuna ukukhulelwa nge-IVF.
• Ukwanda kwamacala amelene nemitholampilo yezingane eziba nokukhubazeka kofuzo nokukhubazeka naphezu kokuthola amaphuzu nokuhlolelwa ingozi.

Imibuzo okufanele icatshangelwe

• Ithini imibono yakho ngokuhlolwa kofuzo kwemibungu ukuze uthole izici ezithile?
• Imiphi eminye imiphumela yokuvumela abangase babe abazali ukuba bakhethe imibungu yabo efanelekayo?