Tag Archives: CRISPR technology

Double helix of DNA biochemistry, Author brian0918&#153 (PD)

Editing the human genome is no longer beyond the realm of possibility.  To the contrary, it represents the frontier of medicine, promising a golden future without heritable disease or genetic defects.  The question is:  at what cost to human rights?

Human genome editing takes two forms:  somatic genome editing (which modifies non-reproductive cells) and germline genome editing (which modifies reproductive cells, including sperm and egg cells, and can be passed on to future generations) [1A].

Somatic Gene Editing

Somatic gene editing is viewed as less controversial, since it cannot be passed on.  The United States, the United Kingdom, and China have all permitted clinical trials involving somatic editing to treat cancer, sickle cell anemia, and other genetic diseases [1B].

Germline Gene Editing

No country has yet approved germline genetic editing, although twins whose germline had been modified using the genetic cut-copy-paste technology known by the acronym CRISPR (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats) were born in China in 2018 [1C][2A]. 

A majority of the European Union has ratified the Oviedo Convention which prohibits heritable gene editing in humans [1D].  Germany, Canada, and Australia have adopted similar prohibitions [1E].  

There is a strong possibility that these bans will eventually be lifted for therapeutic purposes, though there is no current agreement on what qualifies as “therapeutic”.  There is an equal chance that access to germline genetic editing will at some point be characterized as a legal “right” [6A].

In the United States, law currently prohibits the use of federal funds on human germline gene therapy [2B].  However, there are no protocols or restrictions for human genomic engineering [2C]. 

Recently, a startup named Preventive was identified as attempting to engineer the first genetically modified baby outside China [3].  This is not surprising, since Do-It-Yourself CRISPR kits are actually available online [6B]. Continue reading →