The Power of Gene Editing
I read a book named “A Crack in Creation” written by Jennifer A. Doudna & Samuel H. Sternberg that enlightened me on the powerful impact of gene editing.
I would like to start by describing the biotechnology of gene editing discussed in the book. Put in simple words this is what I understood: It is based on the successful delivery of CRISPR (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats Repetitive) to the human body. CRISPR is a DNA sequence that works as a defense mechanism in bacteria because it pairs with the virus genome by complementation and then destroys it. We can use CRISPR in gene editing to target the DNA we want to edit by transcribing the specific RNA that will complement with the target DNA. Then with the help of enzymes (Cas9) transcribed and translated from CRISPR we can cut the target DNA-RNA complex. The cell will then naturally repair the broken DNA using a template that contains the edited DNA.
The use of gene editing can help us achieve wonderful things. As you know, all living beings are made up of DNA which is basically like the software of a computer. Can you imagine what we could attain if we were able to modify any organism’s genome? We would have an answer to most of the major problems we face. From an agribusiness point of vu, we could modify the DNA of livestock so that their muscle mass increase hence increasing meat production. We could also enhance the wool industry. Furthermore, we could create plants that are resistant to attacks replacing pesticides. We could also modify the DNA of animals like pigs to produce proteins that constitute most therapeutic drugs and that are too complex to be synthesized from scratch and can only be produced in living cells. We could also benefit by modifying the DNA of such animals to produce human organs that can be used for transplant purposes. Moreover, we could use gene editing as weapon to fight infectious disease by preventing pathogens or insects from spreading diseases. We could also use gene editing to treat illnesses such as cancer by regulating tumor growth or HIV by modifying a patient’s own immune cells so the virus can’t penetrate them. Gene editing could even go as far as bring back instinct species by modifying the DNA of their closest relatives.
There are infinite other ways that Gene Editing can help humanity. However, the benefits do not come without costs. If this new tool falls in the wrong hands, modifying the genome could destroy us by creating new diseases for instance. Also, gene editing raises ethical concerns because some people can take advantage of it to design their “perfect baby”. This is not to say that it will increase inequality because only rich people can afford gene editing therapy. Socioeconomic inequalities already exist in medical care and this would worsen the gap it even more. For all the following reasons, we should be careful with launching this new tool and make sure regulations are provided to avoid downsides and make the most out of gene editing to save humanity.
