The word edit signifies a change or correction made. Throughout life, there are many things we edit such as documents and pictures, but in the healthcare and scientific world editing holds a heavy power. This so-called power is called genome editing. Genome editing is a method that lets scientists change the DNA of many organisms, including plants, bacteria, and animals. Through the edition of DNA, scientists can create changes to physical traits and modify disease risk. This power of being able to change pieces of DNA has taken the world by storm; now horizons have expanded in the research and health sectors, but ethical concerns have also risen.
In order to be able to make use of this power, different pieces of technology have been made. What scientists have been able to accomplish with these inventions is to allow these technologies to work like scissors; with their programming, they cut DNA in specific spots. Then, with this technology, they remove, add, or replace the cut portion with an altered, different strand of DNA. Among the many technologies out there, the most popular one is CRISPR-Cas9 which is mostly known as CRISPR. What this is mostly used for is correcting genetic defects, treating and preventing the spread of diseases, and improving crops. Specifically, CRISPRs are specialized strands of DNA; within them, the protein Cas9 resides which is an enzyme that is capable of cutting strands of DNA. This technology was taken from the natural defense mechanisms of bacteria and archaea. These organisms use CRISPR RNA and Cas proteins to mimic attacks by viruses and bacteria. They are able to do this by cutting and destroying the DNA of said foreign invader. When the cut portions are transferred, it then allows for the manipulation of genes, or "editing".
There are many reasons why scientists aspire to cut up and modify DNA, but among these reasons is the aim to investigate the many diseases that harm people. In order to do this, they observe, analyze, and edit the genomes and DNA of animals that resemble the genes of humans. When they alter the genes in animals such as mice, scientists can then monitor how this alteration affects the health of the mice and in turn, how it affects the health of humans. An institution that is doing just this is the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI); they, The Burgess lab specifically, are studying deafness and the genomic basis of deafness in hopes of being able to cure it. They are using zebrafish for this research since they contain similar genes associated with the ones that cause human deafness; with CRISPR, they are deleting certain genes in zebrafish one at a time using to see how the deletion impacts the fish.
Another reason scientists are performing gene editing is to develop gene therapies which are to prevent and treat diseases in humans. There are two different categories of gene therapies: germline therapy and somatic therapy. What germline therapies do is change DNA in reproductive cells which can aid the next generation as these cells can be transferred from generation to generation. Somatic therapies, on the other hand, target non-reproductive cells, and the changes that are made in these cells can affect only the person who receives the therapy.
Despite the many successes that gene editing has brought, treatments involving these procedures are still considered experimental since the scientific community, healthcare industry, and policymakers are debating the ethical concerns surrounding this practice. Some of these concerns involve consent. For parents who want to use gene therapy on an embryo, it is impossible to gain permission or consent from the embryo in order to move forward with the embryo’s modification. There are also a lot of safety concerns in these types of procedures; some edits may be made in the wrong location or only some cells will carry the edit. These types of issues can bring rise to many health problems. Additionally, another concern is money. Gene therapy has the chance to cure many people and help a lot of specimens, but there is a possibility that this type of therapy will only be available for the rich since it could be an expensive treatment. Consequently, this could worsen and widen the health inequities between the rich and the poor.
Much is still on the table for gene editing. Although it has a lot of potential to do things beyond our knowledge, there is much to be worked on and a lot to debate before releasing it for clinical purposes.
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