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After a Chinese scientist claimed that he had managed to create the world's first genetically modified babies, able to withstand HIV infection, the country opened an investigation in the middle of the year. world indignation.
Formerly science fiction, tinkering with precision genes is now possible thanks to a technique called CRISPR-Cas9. The precision with which genes can be cut and replaced has been adopted by scientists around the world. The possibilities are potentially limitless: from stopping hereditary diseases to resuscitating extinct species.
But this is not necessarily a good thing.
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After Chinese researcher He Jiankui of Shenzhen on Sunday released a video announcing the birth of binoculars, Lulu and Nana, whose DNA had been modified to prevent possible HIV infection, Chinese scientists issued a joint statement in which they called this movement "madness". urging the authorities to close the "Pandora's box".
Their fears are not without reason. The editing of human genes is controversial, as most countries prohibit gene editing in embryos, as this could alter other genes and be pbaded on to future generations, with unanticipated effects. China, unlike other countries that have escaped human trials, has continued its research. The country, which is trying to create the world's largest DNA database, has also been the first to inject modified cells to a patient with aggressive lung cancer.
What is the edition of the genome?
Almost all cells of a living being consist of DNA, a molecule pbaded from generation to generation by reproduction. DNA is the foundation of life. The genome is the complete sequence of DNA and includes the genes: DNA sequences involved in the production of proteins necessary for the realization of different biological functions.
In other words, the genome of different organisms has a set of instructions and messages encoded in its DNA sequence. By modifying the genome, it is possible to modify these sequences and, consequently, to modify these messages. By inserting a cut or a cut in the DNA, it is possible to deceive the natural mechanisms of repair of the DNA of the cell so that they come into play and introduce the desired changes.
The CRISPR-Cas9 technique creates the way to do it.
What is CRISPR-Cas9?
Simple and powerful, CRISPR-Cas9 or CRISPR (regularly spaced short palindromic repeats) is a technology that allows researchers to easily modify these DNA sequences. Like a pair of molecular scissors, Case9 protein can cut targeted strands of DNA.
This technology has been adapted from the natural defense mechanisms of bacteria that use Cas proteins, including Cas9, to counter viral attacks by cutting and destroying strands of DNA from foreign bodies. This is only in 2017, when a team of researchers led by Mikihiro Shibata of Kanazawa University and Hiroshi Nishimasu of the University of Tokyo, published an article in the journal Natural Communications that people saw what that process was like.
What are the benefits?
The technology has already been used in agricultural industries to create probiotic cultures and also to vaccinate crops, including virus-based yogurt. Research is also underway to improve agricultural yield, protecting it from drought and enriching nutritional content.
The potential is however literally infinite.
For example, the elimination of genes could lead to the eradication of diseases such as heart disease and Alzheimer's disease. Hereditary diseases such as Huntington's could simply be removed from the gene pool. In theory, baby designers could be "created" to have specific traits, ranging from eye color to musculature.
The technology is not limited to humans and could be applied to animals. So, for example, species such as the Tasmanian devil threatened by an infectious disease could be protected, while extinct species could theoretically be brought back to life?
What are the concerns?
Aside from the fact that science and our understanding of possible mutations and its long-term impact on a gene pool are still nascent, the moral and ethical concerns of gene editing are innumerable.
Take, for example, the creation of "designer babies". Although the claims of Chinese researcher He Jiankui remain unverified, most agree that it is theoretically possible to modify genes to inject certain traits into babies. But researchers argue that it's impossible to know what effect of training could have a change on a given gene. Such a change could be inherited and will not be isolated from a person, from a community or even from a country.
In addition, such technology could lead parents – with the financial means to do so – to a dystopian situation, attempting to give their children the "best possible start" in life, by adapting genes to alter the lives of children. appearance, intelligence and physicality. Existing gaps in society due to inequality in terms of wealth could potentially be cemented by genes.
Even something as noble as "cure a disease" has moral implications. What conditions should be treated? And if someone does not want to be cured? These concerns are not without precedent. Adolf Hitler's vision of Nazi eugenics had sought to preserve the purity of the Aryan race by removing from society those considered to have a "hereditary disease."
The National Academy of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine has identified some key issues: "the risks of inaccurate editing", "the difficulty of predicting the adverse effects that genetic modifications may have ", once introduced into the human population, genetic modifications would be difficult to eliminate and would not remain in a community or a country", the possibility of increasing "social inequalities" or its use for purposes of constraint , Human evolution ".
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