One of the newest technologies recently developed in the biomedical engineering field is CRISPR-Cas9 (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats), a new method for gene editing. Essentially, CRISPR-Cas9 allows scientists to selectively manipulate the DNA of any organism, including deleting, adding, or enhancing genes.
The advent of this marvelous scientific breakthrough will revolutionize the way human disease is treated. For example, scientists and doctors will now be able to calculate the likelihood that patients will develop cancer or another debilitating disease by simply analyzing their DNA. And, if they do discover that the patient will develop a disease, they can edit their genes before they’re even born. Additionally, CRISPR-Cas9 will allow for patient-based treatments that tailor medical care to the specific genetic makeup of each patient. No longer will patients have to suffer through ineffective treatment plans that do nothing to improve their condition.
However, with every great invention comes new ethical challenges that must be faced, and CRIPSR-Cas9 is no exception. The question that is at the heart of these ethical dilemmas is that just because humans have the ability to do something, does it mean they should? For example, at the time of World War II, the Manhattan Project’s goal of developing, and eventually detonating, nuclear weapons seemed like a great idea. However, it is easy to see now that nuclear weapons have done more to endanger humanity than they ever did to safeguard it.
One of the main concerns facing the availability of CRISPR-Cas9 for therapeutic usage stems from the fear of “designer babies.” The concept of a “designer baby” describes a baby that, as an embryo, had its genome reviewed and edited. While this could prevent the baby from developing diseases in life, it could also lead to parents hiring companies to give their children the characteristics they want. If they prefer blonde hair, the parents can have their children grow blonde hair, or if they value height, they can make their children grow as tall as they desire. In essence, having “designer babies” would adulterate the sanctity of life by giving humans the ability to do something only a God should do.
The points I have presented in this blog are merely a summary of the much larger debate that is ongoing in the scientific community regarding the use of CRISPR-Cas9. However, just because this topic involves complex scientific principles does not mean that the general public should not be involved in the discussion. If you are interested in learning more about CRISPR-Cas9, here is a link to a great resource that outlines the advantages and pitfalls of CRISPR-Cas9.
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