CRISPR, a biological system for altering DNA, was discovered in 2012. Researchers have used CRISPR in the lab since the mid-2000s, so they don’t know its long-term ramifications in human cells – ones which may be passed on to future generations. Experts have raised concerns about what impact the experiment will have on the twin girls in the future. It’s not really like a vaccination at all. Things are changing, however. And there’s not only the public health problem but issues about agricultural pests, too. That’s just not going to happen.
What would that look like?
Step one is listing what exactly is being managed. Management teams are looking for consolidated reporting, cost controls, and return on investment. Days can get pretty hectic and all of a sudden, the thing you were supposed to do gets pushed back because of something else that came in. This myth keeps popping up very often even though it has been debunked a very long time ago. What is often not even said is that college students are the main source of subjects in “scientific” research. More is unknown than is known. We were getting paid at the time to make search algorithms for autonomous mine-sniffing robots.
The EU also want two trials, but they have different standards. Besides, no one likes it when their time is eaten into for some excuse that doesn’t hold any water. The most rational explanation for this is that what we hoped was going to happen has happened. When it comes to genetic engineering, there are further distinctions.
In recent years, scientists have discovered a relatively easy way to edit genes, the strands of DNA that govern the body. The tool, called CRISPR-cas9, makes it possible to operate on DNA to supply a needed gene or disable one that’s causing problems. Editing sperm, eggs or embryos is different – the changes can be inherited.
When presenting his work at the Second International Human Gene Editing Summit in Hong Kong, Dr He acknowledged the risks associated with CRISPR, but said the procedure was safe. Gene therapy is a relatively new treatment strategy for genetic disorders. Just last year, a team led by biologists at the Oregon Health and Science University in the US used CRISPR to genetically edit more than 100 human embryos.
More results are expected at a medical meeting in February. There is still uncertainty over what Mr He has done. “Technology has made great progress in the educational field and has come a long way in a short amount of time”, stated Franklin Rice. Still, Jiankui’s alleged actions have already been widely denounced. But it is just a matter of time before someone, somewhere, edits human embryos that are grown into babies.
Right now, scientists are exploring the potential of the technology to cure a host of human diseases. There are numerous examples that span scientific literature for several years. Today, their work is breaking long-held science beliefs that have now turned into dogma, but what we think we know is always changing. The worry is that CRISPR editing of the human genome will work all too well. Most observable human features are associated with hundreds of genetic mutations, not just one or two. The use of genome editing in embryos for assisted reproduction in humans is currently prohibited by UK law, but is permitted in some research.
