Genome editing has been a controversial topic that dates back to the early 1900s where it was predicted to be a path taken in order to further humanity. Through recent technological breakthroughs just this is happening. “In February of [last] year, the Human Fertilization and Embryology Authority in the United Kingdom approved a request by the Francis Crick Institute in London to modify human embryos using the new gene editing technique CRISPR-Cas9”(Harris). CRISPR and specifically CRISPR-Cas9 is a technique used by biotechnologists that can be used to target and cut any DNA sequence. CRISPR allows scientists to “do experiments that in the past were very difficult or essentially not possible”(Rojahn) as stated by Jennifer Doudna. Although it
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Previously scientists had been able to create any type of animal cell in a petri dish, but this was the first occurrence of offspring with specific genetic alterations. “ ‘The idea that we can modify primates easily with this technology is powerful,’ says Jennifer Doudna, a professor of molecular and cell biology at the University of California, Berkeley, and a developer of CRISPR”(Schaffer). She states that while it is expensive to experiment with primates, “the demonstration of CRISPR with these primates have gotten ‘a lot of people thinking about cases where primate models may be important’”(Schaffer). One such individual is Robert Desimone, director of MIT’s McGovern Institute for Brian Research, who is using CRISPR to take a deeper look at mental diseases like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. These diseases are notoriously difficult to treat and drugs that have worked well with mice have not done as well with humans. Due to this many pharmaceutical companies turn their backs on developing drugs like these as they are discouraged by the negative results. Now with the use of CRISPR primates can be used in research, which are much better models for humans then …show more content…
Those who fear this though do not take in the factors that natural reproduction has. “Two-thirds of human embryos fail to develop successfully, most of them within the first month of pregnancy. And every year, 7.9 million children… are born with a serious defect of genetic or partially genetic origin”(Harris). It is unlikely that if unprotected sex was a reproductive technology made by man rather then existing in our evolution, then it would never have been a certified technique for reproducing. There is much more studying and further research about the risks of genome editing that needs to be done before actual studies can begin. But the awful, negative impact of diseases such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder could be eliminated. The decision to halt such studies could not be suggested easily. The denial would be a disservice to human
Previously scientists had been able to create any type of animal cell in a petri dish, but this was the first occurrence of offspring with specific genetic alterations. “ ‘The idea that we can modify primates easily with this technology is powerful,’ says Jennifer Doudna, a professor of molecular and cell biology at the University of California, Berkeley, and a developer of CRISPR”(Schaffer). She states that while it is expensive to experiment with primates, “the demonstration of CRISPR with these primates have gotten ‘a lot of people thinking about cases where primate models may be important’”(Schaffer). One such individual is Robert Desimone, director of MIT’s McGovern Institute for Brian Research, who is using CRISPR to take a deeper look at mental diseases like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. These diseases are notoriously difficult to treat and drugs that have worked well with mice have not done as well with humans. Due to this many pharmaceutical companies turn their backs on developing drugs like these as they are discouraged by the negative results. Now with the use of CRISPR primates can be used in research, which are much better models for humans then …show more content…
Those who fear this though do not take in the factors that natural reproduction has. “Two-thirds of human embryos fail to develop successfully, most of them within the first month of pregnancy. And every year, 7.9 million children… are born with a serious defect of genetic or partially genetic origin”(Harris). It is unlikely that if unprotected sex was a reproductive technology made by man rather then existing in our evolution, then it would never have been a certified technique for reproducing. There is much more studying and further research about the risks of genome editing that needs to be done before actual studies can begin. But the awful, negative impact of diseases such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder could be eliminated. The decision to halt such studies could not be suggested easily. The denial would be a disservice to human