A Game Changer for Genetics - CRISPR
It’s become common knowledge that the keys to a healthy life include a healthy diet, consistent exercise, and reduced stress. These three practices have become gospel for doctors, nutritionists, and fitness influencers alike. However even when you factor in diet, exercise, and stress, there is something that still stands in the way: genetics. No matter how much you change your lifestyle, you can’t do anything about what’s in your genes. Or can you?
Back in 2012, scientists developed a form of technology known as CRISPR-Cas9 (CRISPR for short) that uses the Cas9 protein to ultimately cut a targeted fragment of DNA. Thus, by cutting a section of DNA, these scientists paved the way for gene editing. The idea was that if scientists could cut out a section of DNA that codes for disease in a patient, the segment could be edited or replaced to essentially cure the patient.
An image of DNA, RNA, and Cas9.
In the past ten years, scientists have researched CRISPR in the lab to learn about its functionality and capabilities. Starting in 2021, researchers began to utilize CRISPR in humans and animals. The results have been promising.
Of all the possible implementations of CRISPR, its biggest promise could be to serve patients with diseases that are caused by a single change in a base. DNA has 4 bases: adenine, thymine, guanine, and cytosine. Certain genetic illnesses like sickle cell anemia are caused by a singular change in base. In the case of sickle cell anemia, a single thymine replaces an adenine which changes the shape of red blood cells and makes people very sick. Scientists have developed a form of CRISPR to edit bases. Rather than cutting DNA, CRISPR, in the case of sickle cell patients, would change the thymine into an adenine. This form of base editing would ultimately cure the patient of sickle cell for the rest of their life. Although base editing hasn’t had much use for sickle patients, it has been used frequently in patients with a genetic risk for high cholesterol. The targeted approach has proved to be successful and scientists will be looking to expand the technique to other genetic diseases.
A digital illustration of scientists exploring CRISPR.
Other possible applications of CRISPR involve increasing immunity in crops and animals by allowing cells to remember, recognize, and clear infections. Scientists have also theorized a way to bring back extinct species with the help of CRISPR by tweaking the genome of similar species alive today. However at the end of the day, the largest application remains utilizing CRISPR to edit the human genome. Although there are many clear benefits in doing so, there are also a number of ethical concerns that have begun to rise, particularly in the practice of eugenics (selective breeding) and designer babies (changing the genome sequence of an unborn child to match parents’ desires). These concerns are more than valid and regulation and legislation will need to be developed but the potential to cure hereditary diseases with CRISPR may be the next big thing for humanity.
