In 1993, Spanish researcher Francisco Mojica became the first person to identify CRISPR, which is a series of repetitive DNA sequences that are found in the genomes of prokaryotic organisms. Over the last few years, new discoveries within CRISPR and the discovery of the Cas9 protein have opened up new pathways for CRISPR, mainly the use of CRISPR for gene editing.
In 2013, Feng Zhang, a researcher working at MIT, figured out a way to program CRISPR and the Cas9 protein to start a process known as homology-directed repair. Homology-directed repair is a naturally occurring process in the bodies of many organisms. It is a nucleic acid repair system that can be used to modify nonfunctional genomes. Scientists are harnessing CRISPR and its capability to selectively use homology-directed repair to edit genes of various organisms to better their rate of survival. The process where CRISPR Cas9 is used to change a genome is called gene editing.
Gene editing is currently being mainly used in the medical industry. Some examples of its usage are the editing of mosquitos to stop the spread of malaria, taking pig organs and making them suitable for humans as organ donors and the creation of cancer treatment. As of right now, gene editing is not used extensively for humans, as there are ethical concerns and logistical issues along with a lack of knowledge. However, with future advancements in technology, could CRISPR and gene editing become a prominent solution for human medical problems?
According to Mark Mercola, a professor of cardiovascular medicine and a member of the Stanford Cardiovascular Institute, gene editing using CRISPR has made it possible to not only help fight inherited disorders but also acquired disorders like AIDS. When such medical impact is possible to the present day, what are possible use cases of CRISPR in the future?
In the future, it is not impossible to imagine a world where CRISPR is used extensively to edit harmful or irregularly mutated genes. Some examples of upcoming uses for CRISPR are the editing of the mutated P53 tumor suppressor gene that creates an increased risk for cancer, it could be used to destroy microbes that cause disease, and even help resurrect extinct species. However, with all of these new discoveries and advancing technology, there is one roadblock: Ethics.
There are many ethical problems related to CRISPR. Some include that CRISPR if used incorrectly can harm rather than help an organism, it can deal with newly forming embryos which can violate religious beliefs for some people and can often have informed consent and equal access problems. However, many scientists believe that these ethical issues can be overcome and that CRISPR Cas9 and the gene-editing industry can flourish in the future and help solve some of humanity’s most challenging medical problems. Even though there are some concerns regarding CRISPR, its potential seems unbounded. If the ethical issues are surpassed, CRISPR could become the future of the medical industry and help save or improve countless lives.
Sources
“What Are the Ethical Concerns of Genome Editing?” Genome.gov, www.genome.gov/about-genomics/policy-issues/Genome-Editing/ethical-concerns.
“What Are the Ethical Concerns of Genome Editing?” Genome.gov, www.genome.gov/about-genomics/policy-issues/Genome-Editing/ethical-concerns.
Stanford Medicine. “CRISPR Is a Gene-Editing Tool That's Revolutionary, Though Not without Risk.” Stanford Medicine, stanmed.stanford.edu/2018winter/CRISPR-for-gene-editing-is-revolutionary-but-it-comes-with-risks.html.
“What Are Genome Editing and CRISPR-Cas9?: MedlinePlus Genetics.” MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 18 Sept. 2020, medlineplus.gov/genetics/understanding/genomicresearch/genomeediting/#:~:text=Genome%20editing%20(also%20called%20gene,genome%20editing%20have%20been%20developed.
“What Is CRISPR?” New Scientist, www.newscientist.com/term/what-is-crispr/.
“CRISPR Timeline.” Broad Institute, 7 Dec. 2018, www.broadinstitute.org/what-broad/areas-focus/project-spotlight/crispr-timeline.