CRISPR TECHNOLOGY- What it is and how it can revolutionize our very existence

DNA is the instruction manual for life on Earth. It encodes the fundamental properties of an organism— how it lives, grows, and reproduces.

Changing a DNA sequence in a living cell is known as genome editing or gene editing, and for a long time, this was either impossible or extremely challenging.

The discovery of CRISPR genome editing has made this process much easier. In 2012, researchers founded CRISPR — an acronym that stands for Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats — which make breaks in DNA at precise locations, using a CRISPR-associated enzyme (the Cas9 protein) like molecular scissors to cut DNA.

Scientists can now edit the genome of living organisms by adding new fragments of DNA for the cell to use as a template when it repairs the break in the DNA. In this way, scientists can replace a disease-causing mutation with a healthy sequence or make other modifications to the genome.

Alternatively, scientists can use this method to “knock out” a gene entirely — a technique that is frequently used to study the functions of genes — or to modify portions of the genome that affect how genes are expressed, known as "epigenetic editing." Together, these methods give scientists powerful new tools to treat disease, improve agriculture, and study fundamental questions of biology.

CRISPR is already being used to modify insects, animals, plants, and microorganisms and to produce human therapeutics. However, with the rapid application of CRISPR in clinical research, it is important to consider the ethical implications of such advances. Pertinent issues include accessibility and cost, the need for controlled clinical trials with adequate review, and policies for compassionate use. Some researchers and bioethicists are concerned that any genome editing, even for therapeutic uses, will start us on a slippery slope to using it for non-therapeutic and enhancement purposes, which many view as controversial.

Reference- Watch