The Wall_Spring 2023_Issue 9

Suhani Sethi, (she/her), S9, breaks down the debate over gene editing and whether its benefits out weight the risks.

According to the NHS, one in two people will develop some form of cancer during their lifetime.To this date, scientists haven’t found a cure for cancer. But, if gene editing were made legal, could this help locate a cure? Or would its negative effects be too great? Gene editing is the

mosquito, responsible for 90% of malaria deaths, preventing it from spreading the disease. Recently discovered, another benefit of gene editing is how it can extend the human lifespan. Common illnesses and diseases that can become fatal can be prevented through gene editing, and the editing of specific parts of our genes could prevent ageing. Genetic modification could be the answer to drastically improving the span and quality of life.

and harm specific population groups.

Ultimately, a lot of this technology is highly theoretical.The increase in a human’s life span, whilst an attractive concept, could have potentially disastrous results on both a biological and social level.There are doubts about whether it is even safe to make changes at the cellular level; slight changes could potentially lead to disastrous results. There is the possibility that the editing of a gene would get rid of a disease only to introduce a new and even more dangerous one.And experimenting on embryos still in the womb could lead to complications, including miscarriage and premature birth.There are also doubts about whether our already struggling economy would be able to support the large number of socio-economic What about the money issue? Access to gene editing to fight diseases would likely only be limited to those who can afford them, furthering the gap in healthcare opportunities between those in different classes and countries. Genetic technologies would also disadvantage small farmers, especially in developing countries, as they would be unable to access or afford genetically modified seeds.Would this divide between those who can and cannot access this technology be fair? Overall, the list of benefits that gene editing brings is long, including an increase in a limited food supply and curing diseases. However, it has its drawbacks too; it is likely to create problems in our society and has the potential to be misused and abused. But, if it can be used appropriately, gene editing might just be the solution to some of the world’s biggest problems that we face in the 21st century. problems that a longer-living, constantly growing population would bring about.

modification of genes of living organisms to treat genetic or obtained diseases. This

definition shows the important advantage of the practice; howev er, gene editing has been a controversial

In addition, gene

editing would have a pos itive effect on the global

topic for a while, as its ben efits come with concerns surrounding the ethics of the method and the risk of its weaponisation. Gene modification is currently used to restore sight loss caused by a rare eye disease called choroideremia, and early trials show that it may also be able to treat certain blood disorders.A leader in blood disease even said that “gene editing techniques allow doctors to treat a dis order by altering a person’s genetic code instead of using drugs or surgery.” This has important potential, especially with our growing immunity to drugs due to their overprescription.And it is believed that one of the leading treatments of cancer, immunotherapy which helps the immune system fight against cancer, can be developed using genetic editing to become a more successful treatment. But gene editing isn’t just limited to curing genetic diseases; in late November 2015, a group of scientists in San Diego used gene editing to make a certain type of mosquito resistant to spreading malaria, a life-threatening disease which killed more than half a million people in 2014.And just two weeks later, scientists in London said they had modified another type of

food crisis. In 2018, scientists discov

ered that by altering the expression of a gene that is found

in all plants, they

could make tobacco plants 25% more water

efficient. Crops could be made more adaptable to droughts, floods, and high temperatures, creating a larger and more stable supply of food, something which would be extremely beneficial in the face of ongoing climate change. However, something so great comes with its downsides too.A common question raised against gene editing is whether it is ethical or not.Are we running the risk of creating a world of “designer babies” and “super-humans”, perhaps even fundamentally changing the human genome? There is also the concern of it being weaponized to target

Artwork: Klaudia Jedlecka, LVI

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