THE ETHICS BEHIND UTILIZATION OF GERMLINE GENE EDITING IN MEDICINE

Abstract

Genetic editing has arguably been one of the most significant breakthroughs in the scientific world in recent years. Its utilizations are practically infinite, ranging from preventing genetic disorders, engineering drought-resistant crops, and finding cures for diseases like cancer. The discovery of CRISPR, or clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats, was a breakthrough in itself. CRISPR-Cas9, a variant of CRISPR, has been used successfully for several gene therapy clinical trials. These trials used somatic genetic editing, which are mutations of the genome that cannot be passed on to future generations. The success of these clinical trials opened the door to the possibility of creating more targeted, permanent genetic changes. However, introducing mutations into the genome that can be passed down to future generations, known as germline genetic editing, has brought forth an ethical debate. The majority of the scientific community believes the ethical implications of germline gene editing must be resolved before it can be legalized for widespread use. Regarding the ethics of utilizing germline gene editing in the medical field, more research, including successful clinical trials, must be performed before the practice becomes legal for widespread patient use.