China expects third genetically modified baby to address CRISPR ethical issues

Last year, a Chinese scientist went into history using CRISPR technology to genetically alter two newborns, but the scientific community is now struggling to struggle with the ethics of drug use. edition on the human germ line while another pregnant woman of a baby modified by a gene must soon give birth.

"As a species, we have to accept this," said Dr. William Hurlbut, senior research scientist in neurobiology at Stanford Medical School, at the CNBC Healthy Returns conference in New York on Tuesday. "For the first time in the history of life, we can make the future of our evolution."

CRISPR-Cas9 is a gene editing tool that has been touted as a disruptive technology that can help scientists treat or cure genetic diseases. The technology gives researchers the opportunity to modify the DNA of an organism so that they can delete or modify certain genetic elements.

Although technology has been praised for its disease-healing potential, it has posed serious ethical issues within the scientific community regarding embryonic DNA editing.

When Chinese scientist He Jiankui claimed in 2018 that he had helped create the first genetically modified babies – a set of binoculars born with He-modified DNA – he angered scientists around the world. They spoke of the concern to transmit DNA modifications to future generations and to harm other genes. He said he modified the CCR5 gene in babies to prevent them from contracting HIV in the future.

A third baby with a modified CCR5 gene is due to be born this year.

Former FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb said Tuesday that his research was a "horrible experience and that it set a horrible precedent". Gottlieb said his experience could lead people "rightly" to turn away from science.

Gottlieb said that he had yet seen no compelling argument in favor of altering the human germ line.

Paul Dabrowski, CEO of Synthego, a genome engineering company, agreed that the scientific community was not yet ready for editing on the germ line. He wondered if allowing parents to choose to genetically modify their future children could be ethical if they were not the ones who saw their DNA altered.

"How do you make sure you can align the consenting person and the person taking the risk?" Dabrowski asked.

Hurlbut, of Stanford, said it was risky to modify DNA because these features could then be passed on to future generations. Modification of some genes may also result in alterations in other genes, according to Hurlbut.

"We want to be very careful, nature is a deep equilibrium and if we intervene in a shallow way, we can upset things," said Hurlbut.

Dr. Samarth Kulkarni, CEO of CRISPR Therapeutics, said Tuesday that what he had done was "a bit unfortunate".

"I think that on many levels, science is not there yet to support germ line editing, " Kulkarni said.

Kulkarni said his experiment left a "cloud" hanging over the field of gene editing, although he claimed that regulators knew that his experience was an exception in the world of the world. gene editing. Kulkarni said the incident had not had a major impact on CRISPR Therapeutics' business.

Kulkarni said the "only good thing about this unfortunate incident" is to have drawn attention to other advances made by scientists through genetic modification technology. CRISPR Therapeutics announced in February that it was treating a patient with sickle cell disease with gene-modified hematopoietic stem cell therapy. The company also wants to use this technology to potentially treat cancer patients.

CRISPR Therapeutics does not perform any gene editing operations in the germ line, the company only uses CRISPR technology to treat genetic diseases, said Kulkarni.

Although the scientific community agrees that the time has not yet come for genetic editing of embryos, the future of CRISPR technology is promising, according to Dabrowski and Kulkarni.

CEOs said that technology can potentially cure hundreds of genetic diseases in their lifetime.

"The CRISPR is here to stay …" said Kulkarni. "The technology itself will become a pillar."