Genes and the Future

So should we even consider repairing defective genes, especially in humans? I don't want to sound cold hearted, but one of the major problems facing human kind is our medical treatment of diseases that allow humans to survive through reproduction. As a result diseases are perpetuated though out the human genome.

Set aside for the moment your self-interest as a human being. Think of yourself only as just one member of an animal species. Now imagine this scenario.

In a population of 1000 animals, one of these animals exhibits a genetic anomaly that will affect its ability to survive and reproduce. If left to itself, this animal will die before it reproduces thus eliminating the anomalous gene from the population. Under these circumstances, would you fix the bad gene and allow the animal to survive and reproduce? Even if you did not know whether this fix would be permanent? My guess is that as a population biologist, you would not fix this anomalous gene.

• If that guess is correct, then why would you fix an anomalous gene in another human being?
• Would your choice be different if you were related to the person with the anomalous gene?
• Even if you elect to fix the anomalous gene, should this person be allowed to have children?