CRISPR-Cas9 is a relatively new technology in the field of gene editing that has gained attention from scientists and the media for being much cheaper and easier than previous gene editing methods. There are many applications of the technology from making GMOs, to researching diseases, to editing the genes of babies for desired traits. CRISPR found in bacteria is used to identify virus by a specific sequence of DNA so that the Cas9 enzyme can cut the viral DNA and kill the virus. CRISPR is used in gene editing in a similar way where it recognizes a desired DNA sequence and cuts it out of the thing you’re trying to modify but instead of killing it, a synthetic replacement strand can be added in for the host to repair itself with resulting in an edited gene (1). This technology has the potential to do a lot of good things by allowing us to cure genetic disorders like cystic fibrosis, hemophilia, sickle cell disease, cancer, heart diseases, and HIV. Although some media articles have raised concerns about the ethics of human gene editing and how it could lead to more discrimination and provide unfair advantages (2).
Citations
(1) 2020. What are genome editing and CRISPR-Cas9?: Medlineplus Genetics. MedlinePlus. U.S. National Library of Medicine.
(2) Cyranoski D. 2019. The CRISPR-baby scandal: What’s next for human gene-editing. Nature News. Nature Publishing Group.
