Perfect babies with no defects promise with new “gene editing” techniques before concepti
GETTY There is a new technique for 'genetic editing' on sperm
The new CRISPR gene-editing technology has shown promise for getting rid of bad DNA and replacing it in embryos, however the fixed DNA may make into some cells and not others. Scientists previously struggled to find a way to gene-edit the sperm without killing them. Scientists at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York cracked it and were able to deliver an electrical pulse to the sperm that breaks its outer shell and allowed them to deliver CRISPR to the cell. The new technology has been hailed as one the greatest innovations of medicine in recent decades.
Once it is perfected just about any genetic mutation that shows as birth defects and inherited medical disorders could be fixed. There are more than 10,000 genetic disorders that are “single gene” conditions, which means they are passed onto the child through a mutation in a single piece of either parent’s DNA. These disorders include sickle cell disease, cystic fibrosis and muscular dystrophy. Lead researcher Dr Diana Choi told the New Scientist: “In theory all single-gene disorders transmittable by the male can be treated if we are able to successfully use CRISPR-Cas9 on sperm.”
GETTY The new technology has been hailed as an innovation
However, scientists say it is still too early to know whether it is safe as it still unclear if the technology can be used to change all of the embryonic DNA and not just some of it. Even though CRISPR is precise it could still cause secondary genetic disruptions like like mosaicism. Mosaicism is when a person displays traits of a disorder in some parts of their body but not others. This could happen if some cells get the fixed and perfect DNA, but others receive the faulty DNA it can result in this kind of genetic disruption.
Aside from medical concerns there are ethical ones as well on the use of the technology in human embryos. There are growing concerns that CRISPR is a step closer toward “designer babies” and the US’s National Institutes of Health banned its use on human embryos. The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA), which was as set up as a regulator to deal with these technologies as they are developed, approved an application in January 2018 for gene editing of embryos for research purposes. However, scientists can circumvent medical, ethical and legal hurdles if they are able to change the DNA of sperm.
First photos of the world’s first CLONED monkeys Wed, January 24, 2018 Two long-tailed macaques monkeys who are the first primates to be cloned using transferred DNA. Identical long-tailed macaques Zhong Zhong and Hua Hua were born eight and six weeks ago, respectively, at a laboratory in China Play slideshow AFP/Getty Images 1 of 7 This handout picture from the Chinese Ac