“Genome editing” is a form of genetic engineering that involves the addition, deletion, and modification of genes in a genome. The genome of an organism is the full genetic complement of that given organism hence by editing the genome, scientists are able to alter the phenotype of these organisms and can modify the cellular functions occurring within the organism. Mutations in the DNA of an organism occur during DNA replication. For example in the human genome, it is thought that there are 6 billion places where mutations can occur. These mutations can alter the function of cells and can be the cause of genetic diseases thus the development of genome editing is essential to modern day science as it can be used as a form of gene therapy. There
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One example is the prevention of β-thalassemia. This is an autosomal recessive disease caused by a mutation on the HBB gene that is responsible for the production of β-globin, which is a protein that forms part of haemoglobin. Some mutations to this gene decrease the production of β-globin and others inhibit it completely. With less β-globin, less haemoglobin is made and so less oxygen is delivered around the body. The CRISPR-Cas9 technique has been tested and could be used in the future to edit the HBB gene in zygotes and remove the mutation. Thus this would prevent the onset of …show more content…
Whilst the use of human germline cells could eradicate a genetic disease from a family, the use of human germline cells incites many ethical issues. Firstly, the long-term effects of this gene therapy are unknown and could lead to further diseases and disorders later on. In addition, others fear that it may lead to human cloning and a race of designer babies. Owing to these issues, scientists avoid using human germline cells when carrying out genome editing wherever
One example is the prevention of β-thalassemia. This is an autosomal recessive disease caused by a mutation on the HBB gene that is responsible for the production of β-globin, which is a protein that forms part of haemoglobin. Some mutations to this gene decrease the production of β-globin and others inhibit it completely. With less β-globin, less haemoglobin is made and so less oxygen is delivered around the body. The CRISPR-Cas9 technique has been tested and could be used in the future to edit the HBB gene in zygotes and remove the mutation. Thus this would prevent the onset of …show more content…
Whilst the use of human germline cells could eradicate a genetic disease from a family, the use of human germline cells incites many ethical issues. Firstly, the long-term effects of this gene therapy are unknown and could lead to further diseases and disorders later on. In addition, others fear that it may lead to human cloning and a race of designer babies. Owing to these issues, scientists avoid using human germline cells when carrying out genome editing wherever