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back to article Brit boffins get green light to edit human genome

UK scientists have been given the green light to use the CRISPR gene editing technique to experiment on unused human embryos in what is described in a boon to biological research. The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) granted approval to London's Francis Crick Institute to explore the earliest moments of …

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  1. astrax

    Progress

    This is fantastic news. It is of course going to create a huge divide between those who desire progression in the field of genetics and those who think we "shouldn't be playing God".

    IMO the pursuit of eradicating genetic disease is a good enough reason to formally legalise this process.

    20 3 Reply
    1. James 51
      Reply Icon

      Re: Progress

      http://www.cdc.gov/malaria/about/biology/sickle_cell.html

      Just because we can doesn't mean that we should. There could be subtle advantages that are not understood that are edited out as well. Using the knowledge to develop more conventional treatments is less radical/exciting/history making but it will be safer.

      6 8 Reply
      1. astrax
        Reply Icon

        Re: Progress

        That is a very fair point. Equally, such subtle advantages of some genetic disorders may become more visible/apparant once this type of research is carried out. I think it's important to distinguish between the research aspect and the treatment aspect of gene editing.

        11 0 Reply
      2. RIBrsiq
        Reply Icon
        Go

        Re: Progress

        @James 51:

        Yes, we should. We *always* should.

        One of the things we "should", for example, is find out exactly why and how sickle cell helps against malaria and how we can have the same effect *without* the whole "anaemia" bit, which is a bummer.

        We should also completely eliminate malaria, of course.

        On a larger scale: of course we don't understand all the ramifications of what gene editing will do! But that's rather the whole point, really: we never will if we do not allow smart people to fiddle with things and find out what they do and how they do the things that they do.

        Maybe later we will decide that some things should not be done. But first we need to find out exactly what can be done and what effects it will have. Preferably in a regulated and controlled environment out in the open where everyone can see it, understand it and then discuss it somewhat intelligently.

        As it is, the genome seems filled with random useless junk left over from all that evolution. I am sure some of it will turn out not to be so useless after all. But I am also sure that other bits will turn out to be worse than useless and we'll decide to eradicate *those* bits. But first we need to understand.

        12 3 Reply
        1. Julz
          Reply Icon

          Re: Progress

          Looking historically, exactly which bits of scientific research 'should' we not have done?

          0 0 Reply
      3. John Smith 19 Gold badge
        Reply Icon

        The "subtle" advantage of Sickle cell trait is enhanced Malerial resistance

        Sickle cell is an interesting philosophical one for gene therapy as a radical interpretation (the sort of thing usually promoted by people who don't have it) is that it could be depriving people of African origin of their genetic heritage.

        From my awareness of the symptoms I think most sufferers of the condition would say "F**k that, I've never been to Africa." Then again maybe some people might feel that life threatening (and often extremely painful) random blood clots are their birthright.

        Now things get very murky if someone says "I'd like my sickle cell gene to be enhanced to give me the Malerial resistance without the random blood clots."

        Another interesting one (courtesy of Vernor Vinge) would be if you could have the obsessive focus of autism on demand? Controllable by you and capable of being turned off.

        I think most genetic diseases are just that. Defects that most people would want removed from their genome.

        But such choices will come.

        3 1 Reply
        1. James 51
          Reply Icon

          Re: The "subtle" advantage of Sickle cell trait is enhanced Malerial resistance

          Now things get very murky if someone says "I'd like my sickle cell gene to be enhanced to give me the Malerial resistance without the random blood clots."

          If they have one copy if the gene that is essentially what they have. The problem is when you have two copies of it. Perhaps hemochromatosis would be a better example, there is suppose to be higher rate among western european populations so there shouldn't be the same 'heritage' hangups.

          0 0 Reply
      4. phil dude
        Reply Icon
        Boffin

        Re: Progress

        There are a slew of diseases for which the heterozygote confers some hypothetical sort of advantage.

        You picked one (sickle cell , a class of beta-globin mutations). There are many similar diseases within the beta-globin gene, depending on how far down the protein chain the mutations occur. In the interests of being precise, this can lead to truncations as well....

        The heterozygotes manufacture a proportion of mis-shaped blood cells (the allele ratios of the genes), that can disrupt the malarial life cycle, thus giving the body a fighting chance.

        The homozygote has an awful, and possible very short life, as all the blood cells are mis-shaped inhibiting cellular respiration and premature clotting.

        There is no shortage of *breathtaking* awful medical conditions to worry about "subtle advantages".

        This is also a very large number of foetuses that are arborted after a few cellular divisions, due to inherent flaws.

        The only way to be sure is to do the science and apply some rational decisions for which deserve to be fixed at all costs.

        There are no "convential" treatments when it comes to genetic therapies.

        This is just another tool towards that goal.

        P.

        6 0 Reply
    2. sandman
      Reply Icon

      Re: Progress

      Eradicating various genetic diseases really will save a lot of heartache - although the regulators will need to keep on eye out for potential abuses, e.g.... More volts Igor, more volts!

      9 0 Reply
      1. Elmer Phud
        Reply Icon

        Re: Progress

        Everyone needs an Igor to help make new friends.

        17 0 Reply
        1. Graham Marsden
          Reply Icon
          Trollface

          @Elmer Phud - Re: Progress

          > Everyone needs an Igor to help make new friends.

          Yeth, Marthter...

          (Well, the Troll icon looks like it could be an Igor...)

          1 0 Reply
  2. Valeyard

    even without jumping to the custom humans scenario

    any help in further understanding how the likes of miscarriage or chemical pregnancies etc can be prevented or improving the success rate of IVF is worth the research alone, 20% or so of all pregnancies end that way so it'd save a lot of heartbreak and devastation

    7 0 Reply
  3. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    All I have to say is .....

    Kaaaaaaahhhhhhnnnnnnnn!!!!!!

    6 0 Reply
    1. mix
      Reply Icon

      Re: All I have to say is .....

      Beat me to it... :D

      0 0 Reply
  4. Neil Barnes Silver badge
    Terminator

    It will remain illegal to implant a manipulated embryo into the womb of a woman

    Arnie, on the other hand, will have to watch out. They didn't say anything about him...

    ---> Seems the wrong icon, somehow, but it's the best we've got.

    5 0 Reply
  5. hatti

    It'll end in tears matched to a pantone of your choosing.

    3 0 Reply
  6. Unep Eurobats

    Early days

    It sounds like this first step is just to see if the CRISPR technique can be applied to a human embryo, nothing more, as far as I can gather. Presumably the embryo will then be destroyed? How will they know if it's worked?

    0 0 Reply
  7. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    This will revolutionize...

    ... the industry of mail order brides. Custom spouses, created in a lab.

    Well, when all those annoying regulations are outmaneuvered..

    0 0 Reply
  8. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    "unused human embryos"

    ? ? ?

    0 0 Reply
    1. Graham Marsden
      Reply Icon

      Re: "unused human embryos"

      In IVF treatment, more ova are fertilised than are actually implanted.

      1 0 Reply
  9. Long John Brass

    Ethics

    People should have the choice to employ this tech for themselves or their children

    Corporations and Governments should not under any circumstances get to have a say

    Yes some Muppets will engineer an elf lord, but it's better than worker done #12-345-678

    0 2 Reply
  10. Trevor_Pott Gold badge

    "My gift to industry is the genetically engineered worker, or Genejack. Specially designed for labor, the Genejack's muscles and nerves are ideal for his task. And the cerebral cortex has been atrophied so that he can desire nothing except to perform his duties. Tyranny, you say? How can you tyrannize someone who cannot feel pain"

    --Chairman Sheng-Ji Yang, "Essays on Mind and Matter"

    0 0 Reply
  11. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    The future

    Who is to say that God doesn't want us to do this?

    I think we should aim to create super-intelligent GM humans, who will in turn advance science in the same way as say Albert Einstein or Dr Emmett Brown. Once we have the 2nd or 3rd generation of genetic super-beings they will of course turn on us inferior humans and wipe us out like the vermin that we are. Ungrateful swine.

    1 0 Reply

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