User:Icwilson23/Gene Editing

Here is some basic information on gene editing, so that people can be more informed about this new and developing technology!

Introduction:

Gene Editing is an emerging technology that is being tested in the medical industry as a potential way to cure several life threatening diseases.

What is Gene Editing?

Gene editing is when is when engineered nucleuses, that are made to target specific DNA sequences of genes associated with certain diseases. The goal is that these engineered nuclei will permanently disrupt the specific genes and ultimately block the disease. However it is important that the nuclei don’t affect other healthy cells or cause the corruption of any healthy genes within the body. (Holt, N; Exline, C; Mulhern, O; Hofer, U; Burke, K; Oldenburg, J; Cannon, P. (2011).

Current Uses:

Currently gene editing is being tested or used to treat several life threatening diseases. These diseases include HIV, cancer, severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID), hemophilia and certain enzyme deficiencies. There are currently several different methods of gene editing, with the most common being zinc finger nucleuses (ZFNs). Gene editing’s main goal or use is to cure or prevent the spread of certain life threatening diseases.

Security/ Safety Concerns:

One safety concern for gene editing is what the engineered nuclei can do to other non targeted DNA sequences. It would be a major problem if the nuclei effected the function and alignment of healthy genes. “Viral gene therapy may cause mutagenesis at the insertion site and result in dysregulated transgene expression”( Cox, D; Platt, R;Zhang, F. (February 5, 2015). The effectiveness of the treatments is also dependent on the state of the genes being edited, as well as the method of editing.

Future Uses:

A big source of controversy and contention with gene editing is whether, in the future, it will be applied to embryos. This would mean that future parents would be able to alter and ‘choose’ the genes that their child carried. This is a subject of major ethical dilemma and one that often comes up when the topic of gene editing is discussed.