As a physiologist, I have serious worries about some GMO products. There have been numerous studies suggesting that, in the case of GMOs that incorporate pesticidal DNA into the plant genome, horizontal gene transfer is possible within the gut of mammals (that's us) because the DNA is not fully digested (previously people thought DNA was digested completely but it isn't) and resident microbes can assimilate it and become little toxin factories. There is also worry that our own gut cells could take up bits of the DNA in plasmid form and likewise become functionally altered. These concerns haven't been fully investigated although they are receiving increasing attention as the importance of the microbiome is becoming recognized.
Many of the GMO products target permeability of the insect intestine. Increased intestinal permeability in humans is associated with multiple diseases and chronic illnesses. The products that increase gut permeability in insects can do the same in humans at sufficient levels.
I am in favor of better understanding this situation before subscribing to wholesale use of GMOs. It is worrisome that here in the US, we have increasingly little choice as to whether or not we consume GMO products. Many GMOs may be benign...such as those that increase vitamin content, or otherwise improve nutritive quality of food...but many are also used to control pests and those can backfire on us. We arrogantly assume that since there is little short-term risk, there won't be long-term consequences. Like Daedalus, our children may be the ones to fully experience the consequences of these hastily implemented technologies.
A quote from "The Stability and Degradation of Dietary DNA in the Gastrointestinal Tract of Mammals: Implications for
Horizontal Gene Transfer and the Biosafety of GMOs", by
Aurora Rizzia, Noura Raddadia, Claudia Sorlinia, Lise Nordgrdbc, Kaare Magne Nielsenbc & Daniele Daffonchioa
Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition Volume 52, Issue 2, 2012 pages 142-161, DOI:10.1080/10408398.2010.499480
"It is important to understand the stability of DNA in food
because some degree of persistence and integrity of DNA in
food/feed products is a prerequisite for the exposure of the gastrointestinal tract
to dietary DNA fragments that will be of a minimum length
that, due to its sequential nucleotide composition, can confer a
biological activity. Short DNA fragments may nevertheless have
biological activity through stimulation of the immune system."
Other references for those interested:
http://www.gutpathogens.com/content/pdf/1757-4749-5-3.pdf
http://www.microbecolhealthdis.net/index.php/mehd/article/view/20399/26878
I applaud the cautionary approach of the people in the EU. The US has done many marvelous things, but history has shown that recklessness and haste in the implementation of new technologies can have sad and serious consequences.
Christina
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