Is CRISPR Making Mutated Babies?

CRISPR-Cas 9 is a gene editing tool that is creating great debate in the scientific community.

The technology consists of the Cas-9 enzyme which is used to cut the double-stranded DNA

causing a break in it. Uniquely the Cas-9 enzyme is able to make this break at a targeted location

due to a guide strand RNA. The break in the DNA is repaired with DNA damage repair

mechanisms. The technology is being used to cut out mutations in DNA that lead to genetic

disorders. These mutations are cut out and the DNA is repaired, resulting in the disorder

theoretically being eradicated. It is being used to treat genetic disorders such as Huntington's

disease; however, that is on consenting adults. It is greatly agreed that extensive research must be

done before CRISPR is used on germline cells.


Dr. Kubikova did a study using human embryos and CRISPR that revealed some of the realities

of CRISPR. The study took donated sperm and eggs and treated the embryos with CRISPR

targeting sequences with no genes. This resulted in only 9% of the time the technology doing

what it was “supposed to do”. Which is to repair the double-stranded break using homology-

directed repair. 51% of the time the DNA did nonhomologous end joining to repair its DNA.

And 40% of the time the DNA was not repaired resulting in cell death. The nonhomologous end

joining sheds light on a scary truth; this DNA damage repair tool often results in new mutations.

What this means for CRISPR is that it will be removing one intended mutation but creating

another. When used in embryos this germline mutation could be passed down to many future

generations.


This research showed that it is necessary to figure out ways in which CRISPR can be used that

force homology-directed repair rather than nonhomologous end joining. While technology is

changing the lives of those currently living. It is quite clear that it is not ready to be used in

embryos. The technology is able to make its specific breaks but has yet to discover how to

control the DNA repair mechanism. Despite the study revealing why CRISPR is not ready for

embryos, it did result in encouraging information in regard to IVF. It brought about ways in

which to stop DNA damage in embryos; DNA damage in embryos is a reason why some IVF

transfers fail. Being able to prevent DNA damage in the embryos will result in more successful

IVF.


Payton Carroll (7)


Source:

“Warnings to Avoid Using CRISPR-Cas9 on Human Embryos Reinforced by New Findings”

Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology News. June 27,2023. Accessed Oct 30, 2023.

https://www.genengnews.com/topics/genome-editing/warnings-to-avoid-using-crispr-cas9-on-

human-embryos-reinforced-by-new-

Comments

  1. Molly McGonagleNovember 8, 2023 at 7:58 AM

    Hi Payton,
    This was a super interesting read and grabbed my attention right away. I learned a lot about CRISPR my freshman year and was pretty confused on how it worked. You provided a great explanation on the background of it. This could also be an example of bad science because it may not be ready to be tested on embryos yet.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. AnonymousNovember 8, 2023 at 9:54 AM

      Hi Molly, I totally agree. There is definitely a lot of disconnect from sources on how it is being used and where it's not ready to be used yet. It's talked about so much in our sciences classes yet is never explained how it really works.
      -Payton Carroll

      Delete
  2. AnonymousNovember 8, 2023 at 8:27 AM

    Hi Payton. This was super interesting. As I take classes I start to learn more and more about CRISPR technology and how useful it can be. I remember reading the story of the Chinese scientist who used this technology on embryos and even though he was imprisoned for his efforts, I was fascinated at how CRISPR can be used to improve our general livelihoods. At the same time, I think that there need to be some regulations on it so that people don't take advantage of the technology and use it in a negative way.
    -Sid Warrier

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. AnonymousNovember 8, 2023 at 9:58 AM

      Hi Sid, it can be scary to think about how technology is advancing and can get in the wrong hands. Despite the how awful the story of the Chinese scientist is, it will be interesting to follow and see what happens as a result. Although these things are definitely regulated I would imagine it could always be improved.
      -Payton Carroll

      Delete
  3. AnonymousNovember 8, 2023 at 9:30 AM

    Hi Payton! This is fascinating to me! I am doing my final project on CRISPR gene editing and I have learned a lot about how much it can help people. A lot of researchers are just waiting for the FDA to approve it because it has advanced so much. I wonder if it can still be approved if there's still not that much information on it.
    - Nicole M.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. AnonymousNovember 8, 2023 at 10:05 AM

      Hi Nicole, this made me wonder what phase the FDA is with approval, has it started yet? Although it can be so beneficial it is till scary to think about what will happen in the long term. I feel like scientist know so much about it yet so much is still unknown.
      -Payton Carroll

      Delete
  4. AnonymousNovember 8, 2023 at 9:59 AM

    Hi Payton! The title of this article is very interesting and caught my eye. I remember hearing about CRISPR's potential implication in creating different variations of babies and in picking what one desires in a child. This was and still is a very scary thought to me, especially if this became the norm... if we all mutated our children to have the 'best' traits and be the 'best' (because who doesn't want this for their child) the 'best' would be deemed normal and everyone would be the same...

    - Chloe Springer

    ReplyDelete
  5. Haley SampsonNovember 8, 2023 at 8:26 PM

    Hi Payton, awesome work! Your blog post caught my attention because my group is presenting information on CRISPR technology in our mini-documentary, so I have been able to learn about the downfalls of the mechanism. I think that the technology's discrepancies in gene targeting should be brought to the attention of doctors, patients, and administrations that will pass for the usage of CRISPR in events like this. Thanks for a great read!

    ReplyDelete
  6. AnonymousNovember 11, 2023 at 1:52 PM

    Hi Payton, very interesting post about CRISPR. It is fascinating to see how far gene editing has evolved and it the potential to bring a lot of good to the science and medical industry. Of course, the good comes with bad as you mentioned: it could potentially create an environment where people can choose how they genetically modify your own baby. We need laws and policies that come along with these advancements in science.
    -Will Nguyen

    ReplyDelete

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