Essay On Ethical About Genome Editing

1144 Words5 Pages

For thousands of years humans have influenced the genetics of animals and plants through selective breeding and cultivation of crops. Following the introduction of genetic engineering in 1972, the technology has been utilized in multiple industries - improving the standard of living for human beings throughout the world. Genetically modified tomatoes and strawberries sit in grocery shelves with longer shelf lives. Genetically modified fish glow in a family’s fish tank and genetically engineered bacteria produce human insulin for use on diabetics. There is no doubt that genetic modification has improved the lives of millions. However, with the introduction of Clustered Regularly Interspaced Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR) and CRISPR-associated …show more content…

If the system is successful, at some point in the future, CRISPR use may divide humanity into the have and have nots of genetics. Only the wealthy and powerful may be able to afford genome editing and as an article published by the National Human Genome Research Institute titled What are the Ethical About Genome Editing, states “there is concern that genome editing will only be accessible to the wealthy and will increase existing disparities in access to health care. Some worry that editing could create classes of individuals defined by the quality of their engineered genome”. Though the point may be valid when looking at the behaviors of society in the present, the advancement of such technology could change our perception of the entire healthcare system. As the CRISPR technology and genome editing techniques advance, more people may opt to provide free health care, as caregiving prices may drastically decrease due to the utilization of CRISPR. For example, the time and money that would have been invested in caring for an individual with trisomy-21, could be completely avoided if the genetic defects that create the complications are repaired before birth. Also, with diseases such as cancer, HIV and many other genetic illnesses in the crosshairs of CRISPR, expensive chemotherapy and drug batteries may become an outdated method of