In this blog post, we will examine the hope that gene editing technology offers for curing incurable diseases and solving food problems, as well as its ethical and ecological risks.
With the completion of the Human Genome Project in 2003, all of the base sequences in the human genome were interpreted, completing the human genome map. Based on this genome map, we are gradually discovering how specific genes express themselves and affect humans. What would happen if we could arbitrarily change specific genes? Since the creation of restriction enzymes that identify and cut specific base sequences in DNA, much research has been conducted, leading to the development of ZFN, the first-generation gene scissors, and TALEN, the second-generation gene scissors. Recently, CRISPR, a third-generation gene scissors that is more innovative than previous generations, has been developed, drawing renewed attention from academia to gene editing technology and sparking social debate on various issues. No technology is without its drawbacks. Gene editing technology such as CRISPR may raise ethical and genetic diversity issues, but it is not desirable to prevent or delay technological development for this reason. In this article, we will examine the benefits that gene editing technology will bring to humanity and the issues currently under discussion, and consider the necessity of gene editing technology with its unlimited potential.
One of the greatest benefits of gene editing technology for humanity is that it opens up new avenues for disease treatment. Compared to the past, there have been tremendous advances in science and medicine, and diseases that were previously untreatable can now be easily cured. However, there are still diseases that remain incurable despite the causes of their onset being known. Genetic diseases such as AIDS and hemophilia are still incurable with current medicine. Gene editing technology is being researched as a treatment for these genetic diseases, and the results are expected to be optimistic. What is the principle behind gene editing technology’s ability to treat diseases that are considered incurable? Unlike existing disease treatments, gene editing therapy can eliminate the cause of a disease before it occurs by finding and correcting the gene sequence that causes it. For example, hemophilia is a disease that prevents normal blood clotting, which is known to be caused by a defect in the F8 gene that expresses blood clotting factors. If the F8 gene is corrected using CRISPR gene editing technology, hemophilia can be cured. In fact, experiments to correct the F8 gene in mice have been conducted, and successful results have been announced. Research is also underway to treat AIDS with gene editing technology. Approximately 350 million people worldwide suffer from incurable diseases. They are eagerly awaiting the day when their incurable diseases will be cured. In order not to disappoint their hopes, gene editing technology for disease treatment must be further developed.
Gene editing technology can not only cure diseases but also produce high-value crops and livestock, thereby solving food shortages. Although the food problem, which has been a global issue since the Industrial Revolution, has been solved to a certain extent, many people in some African countries still suffer from food shortages. Furthermore, some scholars predict that after 2030, climate change will cause food shortages to become a global issue beyond Africa. Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) have been proposed as an alternative solution to food shortages. GMOs are new varieties of organisms created by inserting foreign genes to make them resistant to cold, pests, and other factors. However, because foreign genes are inserted, consumers are reluctant to purchase GMO products due to concerns about their safety. In contrast, gene editing technology does not involve the insertion of foreign genes, but rather the modification of existing genes, so it is not classified as GMO and has very few side effects. One study shows that the BIN2 gene, which regulates the growth and development of lettuce, can be edited to produce mutations, demonstrating the successful application of gene editing technology to high-value crops. In this way, gene editing technology can be used to promote growth and produce plants that are resistant to climate and pests, and even livestock, thereby solving food shortages.
Finally, gene editing technology can be used to eradicate pests such as mosquitoes. Insects that directly or indirectly harm our lives are called pests. Although they are part of nature, they can cause serious harm to humans and even take lives in severe cases. For example, the Zika virus was recently spread worldwide by mosquitoes, causing deaths. The spread of global diseases caused by pests is very fast and difficult to prevent. Gene editing technology can prevent such risks in advance. By inserting genes that cause infertility into mosquitoes and releasing them, it is possible to eradicate not only the Zika virus but also mosquitoes that carry malaria and Japanese encephalitis. Furthermore, as technology advances, it will be possible to correct the genes of animals and prevent diseases that have spread from various livestock, such as MERS, which originated in camels, and Ebola, which originated in bats.
We have looked at what gene editing technology can bring to humanity. As mentioned earlier, any technology has its problems. Few people deny that gene editing technology will make it possible to cure incurable diseases. However, the question of how far disease treatment should go may arise. In line with disease treatment, it may be possible to create customized babies that reflect the preferences of their parents, such as modifications to improve low intelligence, modifications to improve unfavorable physical conditions, and modifications to prevent genetic diseases. In other words, this could lead to controversy over eugenics, which involves giving people superior genes. In addition, producing animals and plants that are genetically resistant to their environment or eradicating mosquitoes to prevent pests and diseases will cause irreversible changes to the ecosystem. In the ecosystem, the fittest survive and the unfit are naturally eliminated. If the number of individuals of a particular species is not regulated naturally in this way, but changes are made to the ecosystem through artificial genetic modification, it is impossible to predict what the results will be. It cannot be denied that gene editing technology still faces ethical and biological issues that need to be resolved.
So what does the future hold for gene editing technology? Although there are issues that need to be resolved, this should not be a reason to abandon or ban the development of this technology. Innovative and new technologies are unpredictable and are always accompanied by concerns and criticism. In fact, it is only possible to predict that the advancement of science and technology may lead to negative phenomena. Professor Kim Jin-soo of Seoul National University said, “Changing a few wrong words in a 500-page book is called proofreading, not editing. Similarly, changing a few of the 3.2 billion bases in the human genome is gene correction, not gene editing,” arguing that the term “gene editing” itself exaggerates the risks. If we prevent the development of beneficial technologies based on what may be mere concerns, it will be difficult for humanity to expect further progress. The best we can do is to continue developing gene editing technology while anticipating the problems that may arise and making adequate preparations for them. To this end, experts from various fields, including academia, religion, policy makers, legal scholars, and bioethicists, must put their heads together to discuss the development of gene editing technology and clarify the limits that do not conflict with human dignity and ethical issues. Through this, gene editing technology with unlimited possibilities will bring another revolution to humanity.
