Reference no: EM132738212
Gene editing and manipulation is a newer, but rapidly growing field.
We have the ability to change, add or delete genes in human embryos, adults and plants alike. We are going to explore both of these topics for this discussion.
Editing Human Embryos and Adults
With respect to gene editing in human embryos, most research is focused on fixing or removing harmful mutations that may cause diseases, but there are some fears of creating designer babies. In addition, we can edit the genes in adults, if we use a targeted approach. Read the articles below, and then respond to the prompt.
Questions to consider:
What is your take on the research? Are there any benefits and/or costs? Should we be focusing on this? Is there reason for concern?
Articles for Editing Human Embryos and Adults
Darnovsky, M., & Hasson, K. (2020). CRISPR's Twisted Tales: Clarifying Misconceptions about Heritable Genome Editing. Perspectives in Biology and Medicine 63(1), 155-176. doi:10.1353/pbm.2020.0012.
A human has been injected with gene-editing tools to cure his disabling disease. Here's what you need to know. (Kaiser, 2017) https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2017/11/human-has-been-injected-gene-editing-tools-cure-his-disabling-disease-here-s-what-you
CRISPR fixes disease gene in viable human embryos (Ledford, 2017) https://www.nature.com/news/crispr-fixes-disease-gene-in-viable-human-embryos-1.22382
The first CRISPR edited babies are (probably) here. Now What? From: Science Friday https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/the-first-crispr-edited-babies-are-probably-here-now-what/