The Pros And Cons Of CRISPR

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CRISPR is an amazing technology that has opened new doors to new areas of research that were once thought to impossible. This technology is huge for areas of research including human health, agriculture and many more. There are several implications that need to be considered before this technology is available to everyone. This technology is very new and we don’t know the long-term effects of these gene alterations and there are several concerns associated with it. After watching various TED talks and reading through successful tributes about CRISPR, I conclude that it is a resource that will improve the lives of many as well and expand the knowledge of researchers and scientists. This technology is so powerful and has the potential of curing and deleting disease all together. With every new technology, especially concerning human experimentation, …show more content…

It’s difficult to know if this is an ethical practice because the person whose DNA is currently being altered can give informed consent, but future generations cannot. This is what makes editing in the germline controversial. This is also why scientists suggests that if any DNA alterations are to be made, the germline should be off limits. CRISPR has the capability of causing mutation and unwanted side effects that can occur in the germline DNA alterations. These mutations and side effects can be inherited by future generations. Another issue with this is that we lack research on what unpredictable changes could occur in the test subject’s (human’s) DNA. The majority of CRISPR’s ethical problems are largely due to the uncertainty that researchers and scientists have on all areas of CRISPR. As mentioned, CRISPR is relatively new and it’ll take a while before we can be 100% confident to employ this technology without worrying about uncertainties. And this will only come from continued research in new