Gene Editing Ethics

Watch

• How CRISPR lets you edit DNA - Andrea M. Henle ↗TED-Ed
• The ethical dilemma of designer babies | Paul Knoepfler ↗TED
• What you need to know about CRISPR | Ellen Jorgensen ↗TED
• Genetic Engineering Will Change Everything Forever – CRISPR ↗Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell
• The Realities of Gene Editing with CRISPR I NOVA I PBS ↗NOVA PBS Official
• Gene Editing: Promise vs. Ethics ↗woubpbs

Read

• A Crack in Creation: Gene Editing and the Unthinkable Power to Control Evolution ↗An essential account from a co-discoverer of CRISPR, this book illuminates the scientific breakthrough and the profound ethical questions it immediately unleashed.Jennifer A. Doudna and Samuel H. Sternberg
• The Gene: An Intimate History ↗This sweeping history of genetics provides crucial context for understanding the ethical dilemmas of gene editing, from eugenics to the promise of new therapies.Siddhartha Mukherjee
• Playing God: The New World of Medical Ethics and Genetics ↗A rigorous philosophical exploration of the moral boundaries and possibilities inherent in genetic intervention, offering a robust framework for ethical debate.John Harris
• A prudent path forward for genomic engineering and germline gene modificationThis landmark consensus statement from leading scientists outlines the urgent ethical considerations and calls for a cautious approach to human germline editing.David Baltimore, Paul Berg, Jennifer Doudna, George Q. Daley, Emmanuelle Charpentier, and others
• Don't Edit the Human Germ LineA pivotal commentary advocating for a global moratorium on clinical applications of human germline editing, underscoring the profound societal implications.David Baltimore, Paul Berg, Françoise Baylis, Richard O. Hynes, George Q. Daley, and others

Voices to follow

• Jennifer Doudna ↗Her co-discovery of CRISPR-Cas9 fundamentally reshaped genetic engineering, making her an indispensable voice on its scientific promise and ethical quandaries.Biochemist, Nobel Laureate, University of California, Berkeley
• Emmanuelle Charpentier ↗As a co-architect of CRISPR-Cas9, her insights are vital for comprehending the technical capabilities and the profound moral questions inherent in altering the human genome.Microbiologist, Nobel Laureate, Max Planck Unit for the Science of Pathogens
• George Church ↗A visionary and often provocative geneticist, he consistently challenges conventional thinking on what is technically feasible and ethically permissible in gene editing.Geneticist, Professor of Genetics, Harvard Medical School
• Alta Charo ↗A preeminent bioethicist and legal scholar, she offers critical guidance on the regulatory and societal frameworks necessary to responsibly govern gene editing technologies.Bioethicist, Professor of Law and Bioethics, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Glossary

• CRISPRCRISPR (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats) is a revolutionary and powerful tool that scientists use for gene editing. It acts like a guided missile that can find a specific spot in DNA and then cut it, making it easier to make changes. For example, CRISPR is the specific tool that allows scientists to precisely snip out a faulty gene.
• Designer BabiesDesigner babies is a term used to describe the idea of using gene editing to choose or change traits in a baby that are not related to health, like intelligence, athletic ability, or appearance. This raises many ethical questions about fairness and human nature. For example, if parents could choose to edit their child's genes to ensure they have blue eyes or are taller, that would be an example of creating a "designer baby."
• DNADNA (Deoxyribonucleic Acid) is the instruction manual for every living thing, found inside almost all your cells. It contains all the information that makes you, you, from your eye color to how your body works. For example, your DNA is like the unique blueprint that tells your body how to grow and function.
• EthicsEthics is about deciding what is right and wrong, and what we should or should not do, especially when new technologies like gene editing come along. It involves thinking about the moral rules and principles that guide our actions. For example, deciding if it's okay to change someone's genes to make them smarter brings up many ethical questions.
• Gene EditingGene editing is like using a tiny, super-precise pair of scissors to cut and change specific parts of an organism's DNA. It allows scientists to add, remove, or alter genes. For example, imagine correcting a misspelled word in a very long instruction manual to fix a problem.
• Gene TherapyGene therapy is a medical approach that uses gene editing or other genetic methods to treat or prevent diseases by correcting faulty genes or introducing new, healthy genes into a patient's cells. It's like replacing a broken part in a machine with a working one. For example, scientists are exploring gene therapy to replace the faulty gene that causes blindness in some people.
• Genetic DiseaseA genetic disease is a health problem caused by a mistake or change in a person's DNA, which can be inherited from parents or happen randomly. These changes can stop the body from working properly. For example, conditions like cystic fibrosis or sickle cell anemia are genetic diseases caused by specific errors in DNA.
• Germline EditingGermline editing means changing the DNA in reproductive cells (like sperm or egg cells) or in a very early embryo. Any changes made this way would be passed down to future generations. For example, if a gene for a disease was corrected in an embryo using germline editing, that child and all their future children would no longer carry that disease gene.
• Informed ConsentInformed consent means that a person fully understands the risks, benefits, and alternatives of a medical treatment or research study before agreeing to participate. It's about making a free and educated choice. For example, before a patient receives a new gene therapy, doctors must explain everything clearly and get their informed consent.
• Somatic Cell EditingSomatic cell editing involves changing the DNA in regular body cells, like skin cells or muscle cells, but not in reproductive cells. These changes only affect the person being treated and are not passed on to their children. For example, using somatic cell editing to fix a faulty gene in a person's lung cells to treat a lung disease would only affect that person's lungs.

Threads 4

Where this connects to other fields, and why it's worth knowing.

• Global Governance & Collective Action Global Risks

  Say one country decides it's fine to genetically upgrade its babies. Rivals now feel they can't afford to fall behind, so they follow, and suddenly there's a race to redesign humans. There's no world government acting as referee to blow the whistle, which is what makes this so hard to stop.

• Inequality & Class Sociology

  If designing smarter, healthier babies costs a fortune, only rich families could buy the upgrade. Then today's gap between rich and poor wouldn't just be about money; it would be baked into people's genes and passed down forever. Inequality could become biological and permanent, locked into the family line.

• Rights & Liberties Law

  Change a gene in an embryo and that edit rides on into its kids, and their kids, forever. But those future people can't say yes or no, because they don't exist yet. So a handful of scientists today would be making a permanent choice for millions who never get a vote.

• Ecosystem Tipping Points Environment

  A 'gene drive' is a trick that forces a chosen gene through an entire species, and it could wipe out the mosquitoes that spread malaria on purpose. That might save millions of lives, or it might yank a thread that unravels a whole food web. And there's no undo button once you release it.