We can’t really do it today, but every morning the technology gets a little closer to reality. And generally, such things will likely need to be done in vitro, anyway, rather than being a treatment that could be applied to an adult. Reality, however, should never get in the way of a cracking good story idea. (Daniel Keys Moran used transform viruses in his work, starting with Emerald Eyes. Plus designing better humans and dealing with the problems when you actually succeed.)