Gene Editing: Will You Edit Your Baby’s Genes To Save Them From Your Bad Genes? 

Do you know what genetic editing is? Is editing a gene in embryo to ensure health or desired aesthetic in your future child ethically immoral or is it ok? Who deserves to benefit from these? Many couple’s today struggle with conceiving a baby for many reasons, whether that be from fertility issues or having a long history of bad health or genetics predispositions. In the present day and age, the intricate science of the human gene has taken massive leaps and bounds of progress and has transcended to the point of being able to sequence individual DNA strands in chromosomes to figure out where specific alleles are located on the strand.

Due to these incredible electrifying advancements we are, amazingly enough, able to identify mutations, diseases and a vast variety of genetic disorders. Let’s dive in! With this phenomenal growth, we’ve conceived procedures like IVF (in-vitro fertilization), and are given the ability to evaluate and choose the ideal embryo to implant and grow into your future child. In the procedure of IVF, several female eggs are taken and fertilized by sperm. Once the most ideal candidate is chosen, it is then placed into the uterus, also known as implantation. The optional, and tedious, process of selection is called pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD). In PGD, when parents are known carriers of specific diseases or have a higher predisposition to certain genetic mutations, they evaluate each embryo prior to implantation to prevent these diseases from presenting in their future child.

An issue with PGD is that, even though their child may not have to suffer from a specific disease or mutation, their child is still able to pass that gene on to their children and so forth. Future generations will still have that increased likelihood, that whatever disease or genetic mutation, will physically appear with them and future generations as well. PGD is not eliminating these genetic diseases, but simply selecting for them not to manifest physically, while still potentially inheriting them. PGD is also limited to only screen for a finite list of genetic diseases and mutations. During IVF, only one embryo is chosen, but what happens to the rest of the unlucky fertilized eggs? Well, there are several routes that can be taken for these unused embryo post selection day for the group of “egglings”.

A large percentage of them are discarded, but on a positive note there are a lucky amount that are donated and frozen! There are a variety of reasons why they are frozen, a large one being research, another being used for unsuccessful cycles with the couple and also for future cycles if the couple isn’t done building their family. In addition to these options, a couple has the option of donating unused embryo’s and furthermore can serve as a bank for couples who are unable to produce a viable embryo themselves and used during their IVF procedure. Another alternative to these massive steps forward in the world of genetic science is actual DNA editing, by taking out a specific gene effected by whatever ailment and replacing it with a “clean” one. This futuristic method is still being researched, but it has successfully been achieved by the use of an incredible device called Crispr.

As described in the article published by ‘The Guardian’, “The powerful tool, known as Crispr, allows the precise and easy manipulation of the DNA in the nucleus of any cell. Making the manipulations in sperm, egg or a one-cell embryo, which is just about to start replicating its DNA, and they can become permanently sealed in the so-called germ line, to be inherited by future generations…Crispr can be thought of as a pair of molecular scissors … they snip at a precise point in the cell’s DNA specified by researchers using a customized guide molecule, a single short piece of RNA, DNA’s chemical cousin… the enzyme is known as Cas9, hence the technique is often written Crispr Cas9” (https://www.theguardian.com/science/2015/may/10/crispr-genome-editing-dna-upgrade-technology-genetic-disease) Crispr Cas9 is an astounding alternative to PGD that significantly decreases future offspring from inheriting those “bad genes” per se.

This spurs the question if this method of genetic editing is ethical or not and has triggered the “playing God” and “designer babies” debate. This technique would severely decrease and potentially eradicate future generations suffering from ailments their ancestors were plagued with, rewriting history in a sense. Although many alleles have been sequenced, not all of them are known as to what they correspond with physically. So editing these genomes for aesthetic purposes are out of reach now, but we’re steadily running down the path of deciphering these codes. Medically necessary gene editing may not be the only option in our future of genetic progression, but elective features such as height, intelligence and athleticism could be added to the menu.

We can see the advancement in genetic manipulation is unwaveringly moving onwards, but who should have access to these futuristic upgrades? It’s easy to see these services becoming available only to those who can afford it, but imagine a world where there are regulations put on these procedures to make it attainable for everyone. A formula used to prevent producers from inflating the price by 1000000% and allowing everyone to utilize this creation. Would we transform into a superior breed of humans, void of disease and affliction? Or would we create a great divide between the super race and the unedited?