What is gene editing or genome editing as
it is also known, and how does it work?
Let's start by talking about genes.
These are sections of the long DNA molecules
coiled up inside each cell of every living
thing from micro-organisms and insects, to
plants and animals, including humans.
Think of DNA as the instruction manual for
an organism; in people, genes can influence
characteristics such as your height and the
colour of your eyes.
DNA is inherited from our parents; we have
a combination of two sets of genes, one from
each parent, brought together to produce a
new set of instructions, and reshuffled in
each generation.
But sometimes these instructions carry errors,
and these can create problems.
Faulty genes can cause serious illnesses.
Humanity has a long history of figuring out
ways to modify genes.
We have been cross breeding plants to make
them better to eat for thousands of years.
But with gene editing, we've made a great
leap forward.
This increasingly accurate new technology
is faster to use, relatively simple and cheap
compared with previous methods, and promises
huge benefits.
In a nutshell, it works by identifying then
cutting pieces of DNA.
One way of doing this uses a component known
as CRISPR to pinpoint the precise DNA sequence
within the gene to be altered.
Then an enzyme called Cas9 snips through the
DNA, changing it or allowing it to be replaced
by another stretch of DNA that is introduced
at the same time.
This can either replace a faulty gene with
a healthy one, or change a gene to make it
behave differently.
The methods act like a find-and-replace for
the genetic instruction manual.
By making these microscopic changes to DNA,
gene editing has the potential to make big
changes to our lives.
Gene editing is already transforming genetic
research.
But at this early stage of such a powerful
technology, it's crucial that we weigh the
potential benefits against the possible negatives.
First, let's look at the positives.
Gene editing could make radical improvements
to human health.
For example, in 2015 doctors used genome editing
techniques to cure a baby girl's leukaemia.
In the future, we may be able to fix the gene
mutations that predispose some people to cancer,
or enable new therapies for HIV, or edit the
genes that cause hereditary diseases.
In the plant world, it could make crops more
nutritious, disease-resistant, and able to
grow in difficult conditions.
By editing animals' genes, we could help them
resist diseases.
Scientists are currently working to edit the
genes of mosquitos, to prevent them from carrying
malaria.
So genome editing has enormous positive potential.
But what about possible downsides?
Genes could be edited in early human embryos
to alter characteristics such as eye colour,
that have no bearing on health.
This raises the possibility of 'designer babies',
and changing an embryo's DNA would affect
not only the child, but their descendants
too..
These same techniques could also be used to
create designer pets, or develop more virulent
microbial diseases.
So alongside the many benefits of genome editing,
there are also some ethical and societal concerns
to consider.
The technology is already in our hands.
Now's the time to debate how we use it, regulate
it, avoid negative uses and unlock its potential
to provide life-changing solutions to some
of the world's biggest challenges.
Special thanks to The Royal Society
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