Ethics of Human Gene Editing

Types of Gene Editing

Somatic: do not affect offsping; the common type that is performed today

Germline: can affect offspring; therefore much less ethically accepted

Different Methods https://www.ptglab.com/news/blog/crispr-cas9-talens-and-zfns-the-battle-in-gene-editing/

CRISPR-Cas9 (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats)

TALENs (transcription activator-like effector nucleases)

ZFNs (zinc finger nucleases)

CRISPR-Cas9 is the most recent (2009) and is considered the best form of gene editing

Pro Gene Editing

Anti Gene Editing

Generally the opinion held by the scientists and doctors who come up with and perform this editing because they believe we should take advantage of scientific advances

Playing God?

Accuracy/safety concerns

Editing for different purposes

CRISPR is the most accurate form of gene editing right now

Editing at different stages in life

Pre-birth

Post-birth

Reasons not relating to a person's health (gender and eye color for example)

Editing for the sake of removing the chance of removing or never developing a genetic diseases (Down Syndrome and Cystic Fibrosis for example)

The debate of whether or not it's morally wrong to take away a genetic disease or if it's who they are born to be

Is a life with an awful genetic disease worth it? "In the United States, an estimated 67 percent of fetuses with prenatally diagnosed Down Syndrome are aborted." https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/16/opinion/down-syndrome-abortion.html

They believe people will live better, longer, healthier lives if they have a genetic disease removed

Is one ethically wrong but
the other is okay?

Some support editing to remove genetic diseases, but are against anything not health related because it doesn't affect the quality of life

People do this for a living so their job could be at stake if people stop wanting gene editing performed on them or their child

Chinese scientist, He Jiankui, was sent to prison after using CRISPR to make first gene edited twins https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-00001-y

How does religion play into this take?

But what if there are resulting health issues or mutations?