The ABCs of Biotech for Christians - Fifth in a series - D is for Down Syndrome

A state law was overturned in April this year that Vice President Mike Pence had signed when he was Indiana Governor. The law, in part, prohibited abortions based solely on race, sex, or diagnosis or potential diagnosis of a disability such as Down syndrome.

The law had been immediately challenged by Planned Parenthood and the ACLU and never took effect, but was defended by the State of Indiana throughout the legal process. After a permanent injunction was issued in September of 2016, Indiana’s Attorney General appealed, stating:

“By declaring unconstitutional a state law that would bar abortions based solely on race, sex or disability such as Down syndrome, a federal judge has cleared the path for genetic discrimination that once seemed like science fiction… This state has a compelling interest in protecting the dignity of the unborn and in ensuring they are not selected for termination simply because they lack preferred physical characteristics.” (ref)

To us Christians his words make perfect sense. They ought to ring true with anyone who remembers what happened in Nazi Germany. Yet many states are in the throes of such legal controversies. Moreover, physicians may be sued if patients decide they were not adequately warned of a Down syndrome child.

An article in the National Right to Life e-news reports,

Among disabilities, a Down syndrome diagnosis has become one of the most renowned reasons women abort. Studies show that up to 90 percent of babies diagnosed with Down syndrome are aborted. Horrifically, that number has approached 100 percent in European countries like Iceland.

Because of biotech, prenatal testing can reveal whether a pre-born baby has Down syndrome, and then the parents have an option. A ministry, Be Not Afraid, supports parents when a pregnancy is complicated by a prenatal diagnosis. In the Bible, we read that women are not to be frightened by any fear, as true daughters of Sarah. (1 Pet 3:6)

On the positive side, Biotech is on the move to discover a cure for Down syndrome. From each parent we receive 23 chromosomes, but the person with DS has an extra copy of chromosome 21, and this causes the syndrome. This article describes a research project that silenced the extra chromosome, raising hope for a cell therapy for the syndrome.

Discoveries are emerging that help scientists understand how the trisomy (3 chromosomes) affects the overall cell makeup, and can lead to new studies, little by little isolating how to cure the condition:

Published in the journal Nature Communications, the research shows that trisomy 21, far from only affecting the proteins encoded by the chromosome 21 genes, also impacts on the proteins encoded by the genes located on the other chromosomes. In fact, the cells are overwhelmed by the protein surplus generated by the triplicated genes, and cannot regulate the amount of proteins. These results provide new insight into Down's syndrome and its symptoms based on the study of proteins, revealing the different outcomes of an excess of chromosome 21 on cell behaviour. (ref)

An article that suggests a means of possible treatment in utero is here. A therapy to cure chromosome abnormalities is reported here.

A report on this website describes research to remove the extra copy of chromosome 21 in cell cultures gotten from a DS person, to create cell therapies to help DS people fight the illnesses that are brought on by the syndrome. There are many biotech studies taking place to help improve the health of people with DS.

Let’s stay tuned and pray for good biotech news about Down syndrome.