Genomic editing & CRISPR Bioethics ‘Key Questions’ Postcard Series
Key questions to engage with
Genomic editing & CRISPR What%is%genomic%edi/ng?% It%is%the%altera/on%of%a%selected%DNA%sequence%in%a%living%cell%by%cu=ng%the%DNA%molecule%at%a%chosen%point%and%either%removing% exis/ng%elements%of%the%genome%or%deliberately%introducing%a%new%sequence.%%
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What%is%CRISPR?%% •
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In%essence%CRISPR%is%a%biological%pair%of%‘scissors’%in%the%form%of% an%enzyme%that%cuts%DNA%strands%and%an%RNA%guide%that%knows% where%to%make%the%cut,%so%the%traits%expressed%by%the%gene%are% changed.% Scien/sts%have%learned%how%to%adapt%this%‘scissor%ac/on’%to%snip% up%and%move%around%sec/ons%of%any%plant%or%animal%DNA,% including%human%DNA.%This%helps%to%change%the%DNA%and%it% characteris/cs,%poten/ally%helping%to%eradicate%disease%or% enhance%humans.%%
Did%you%know?% • • •
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CRISPR%is%a%new%genomic%edi/ng%that%has%only%appeared%in%the% scien/fic%literature%as%recently%as%2013Y14.% There%is%great%poten/al%for%adult%cell%gene%edi/ng%for%cancer% therapies%such%as%leukemia%[d].%% Great%varia/on%exists%across%the%world%in%terms%of%the%law%on% edi/ng%human%germ%cells.%[b].%%
Why%take%an%interest?%% •
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Is#it#really#safe?#Efforts%to%gene/cally%engineer%future% children%and%genera/ons%would%be%unsafe,%medically% unnecessary,%and%profoundly%damaging%to%social%jus/ce%and% human%rights%[a].% Designer#children?#Some%might%be%aJracted%by%the%idea%of% gene/cally%modifying%future%children%to%try%and%give%their% children%a%compe//ve%edge.% How#best#to#help#treat#and#cure#disease?%Germline%edi/ng% does%not%treat%or%cure%anyone.%Only%gene%edi/ng%of%soma/c% cells%would%treat%or%cure%an%exis/ng%person%with%a%gene/c% condi/on.% Human#genome#is#not#the#property#of#any#par:cular# culture,#na:on,#or#region.%Decisions%about%how%far%we% should%go%in%changing%it%have%to%be%accountable%to%humanity% as%a%whole%[c].%%
[a]%hJp://www.gene/csandsociety.org/ar/cle.php?id=8959%%[b]%hJp://www.nature.com/news/ genomeYedi/ngY7YfactsYaboutYaYrevolu/onaryYtechnologyY1.18869% [c]%hJp://issues.org/32Y1/crisprYdemocracyYgeneYedi/ngYandYtheYneedYforYinclusiveYdelibera/on/%% [d]%hJps://www.newscien/st.com/ar/cle/mg22830475Y000YgeneYedi/ngYbeatYaYbabysYleukaemiaY areYotherYcancersYnext/%%
Genomic editing & CRISPR Bioethics ‘Key Questions’ Postcard Series
Key questions to engage with
Genomic editing & CRISPR What%is%genomic%edi/ng?% It%is%the%altera/on%of%a%selected%DNA%sequence%in%a%living%cell%by%cu=ng%the%DNA%molecule%at%a%chosen%point%and%either%removing% exis/ng%elements%of%the%genome%or%deliberately%introducing%a%new%sequence.%%
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What%is%CRISPR?%% •
•
In%essence%CRISPR%is%a%biological%pair%of%‘scissors’%in%the%form%of% an%enzyme%that%cuts%DNA%strands%and%an%RNA%guide%that%knows% where%to%make%the%cut,%so%the%traits%expressed%by%the%gene%are% changed.% Scien/sts%have%learned%how%to%adapt%this%‘scissor%ac/on’%to%snip% up%and%move%around%sec/ons%of%any%plant%or%animal%DNA,% including%human%DNA.%This%helps%to%change%the%DNA%and%it% characteris/cs,%poten/ally%helping%to%eradicate%disease%or% enhance%humans.%%
Did%you%know?% • • •
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CRISPR%is%a%new%genomic%edi/ng%that%has%only%appeared%in%the% scien/fic%literature%as%recently%as%2013Y14.% There%is%great%poten/al%for%adult%cell%gene%edi/ng%for%cancer% therapies%such%as%leukemia%[d].%% Great%varia/on%exists%across%the%world%in%terms%of%the%law%on% edi/ng%human%germ%cells.%[b].%%
Why%take%an%interest?%% •
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Is#it#really#safe?#Efforts%to%gene/cally%engineer%future% children%and%genera/ons%would%be%unsafe,%medically% unnecessary,%and%profoundly%damaging%to%social%jus/ce%and% human%rights%[a].% Designer#children?#Some%might%be%aJracted%by%the%idea%of% gene/cally%modifying%future%children%to%try%and%give%their% children%a%compe//ve%edge.% How#best#to#help#treat#and#cure#disease?%Germline%edi/ng% does%not%treat%or%cure%anyone.%Only%gene%edi/ng%of%soma/c% cells%would%treat%or%cure%an%exis/ng%person%with%a%gene/c% condi/on.% Human#genome#is#not#the#property#of#any#par:cular# culture,#na:on,#or#region.%Decisions%about%how%far%we% should%go%in%changing%it%have%to%be%accountable%to%humanity% as%a%whole%[c].%%
[a]%hJp://www.gene/csandsociety.org/ar/cle.php?id=8959%%[b]%hJp://www.nature.com/news/ genomeYedi/ngY7YfactsYaboutYaYrevolu/onaryYtechnologyY1.18869% [c]%hJp://issues.org/32Y1/crisprYdemocracyYgeneYedi/ngYandYtheYneedYforYinclusiveYdelibera/on/%% [d]%hJps://www.newscien/st.com/ar/cle/mg22830475Y000YgeneYedi/ngYbeatYaYbabysYleukaemiaY areYotherYcancersYnext/%%