Bioethicists are urging caution amid the rapid progress of gene-editing technology, pointing to animal experiments which have resulted in disturbing, unintended outcomes. The first human trial using CRISPR gene editing, called Crispr-Cas9, was conducted on a patient with an aggressive form of brain cancer. Scientists are seeing unexpected consequences, such as enlarged tongues in rabbits that had genes edited to limit muscle growth, or premature deaths of gene-edited calves. Critics warn that the editing of DNA in livestock could allow harmful mutations to enter the food chain when those animals are consumed, while breeding could cause mutated genes to spread.
Bioethicists are urging caution amid the rapid progress of gene-editing technology, pointing to animal experiments which have resulted in disturbing, unintended outcomes. Despite the strides that have been made in mapping genomes, our understanding of how genes work is still in its infancy. Scientists are seeing unexpected consequences, such as enlarged tongues in rabbits that had genes edited to limit muscle growth, or premature deaths of gene-edited calves. Critics warn that the editing of DNA in livestock could allow harmful mutations to enter the food chain when those animals are consumed, while breeding could cause mutated genes to spread.