Revolution Science - Gene Editing, Major Cures & Eugenics

Today, I was reading up on genetic advancements and reread an article that came across my desk about a week ago.  I thought to myself:  I really, really need to get this out a bit more because the consequences of this research being "out" are astounding.

True enough, since this came out about 3 years ago from the labs (once again, very well documented, peer-reviewed science, well supported), a great many startups have picked up on it to create applications in the real world and many Venture Capital companies have invested huge sums to get it all going.

Dr.  Jennifer Doudna, Berkeley University, California

In the following Youtube video I talk a bit more about this and integrated into my video is the TED talk video from the head researched herself that published the paper a few years back.  She describes the technique and its potential applications better than I ever could.  Check it out:

Bottom line, this is once more a revolutionary piece of science that, in just a few years, will change our world.

Why?

We can soon say goodbye to potentially ALL genetic diseases. 
For example:

• Cystic Fibrosis
• Tay-Sachs disease
• Some cancers
• Sickle Cell Disease
• Huntington's Disease
• Many more

We can also say hello to  possibilities in:

• Genetic human enhancements
• Designer babies
• Designer pets and other animals
• Cures for retroviral and persistent genetic viral infiltration diseases such as:
• AIDS
• Herpesvirus
• Proviruses

This is very exciting because we can get, as a human species, get more ownership over our own physical bodies, customizing it the way we want and feeling more in control of what it does (eradication of some diseases). 

Others would likely say that this is terrible news since governments and corporations would also be able and likely will use this technology to create better soldiers and biological weapons.  Using this tech, it would be pretty simple to create a bio weapon that would target a certain population for example and make them extremely sick (disable) on a genetic level.

I'm of the opinion that science must advance and we have to lobby, and be active in our desire as a society to see through ONLY the positive applications of great technologies.  Science is not evil... only people can be evil (people hungry for power.

For those of you who believe this can be "canned"... its unlikely at this point.  Way too much money has been spent from investors to take this new research down into oblivion, just too much money to be made.  But this time into long duration cures.  Not only that, but with the CRISPR technology, we can also heal the gametogenesis cells of both genders so that they cannot transmit whatever genetic defect they have to their children.  Cool huh?

One of many startups using CRISPR to attempt genetic cures and other genetic modifications

 

One of the biotechnology companies in the race to make things happen, Editas Medicine, hopes to do human testing on a specific genetic disease by 2017, a genetic eye disorder that renders people carrying the erroneous gene blind, called Leber congenital amaurosis, cure it and report findings.  If successful with this one disease, they hope that the FDA will approve more testing for other diseases and release them to offer a cure for this disease to all affected desiring treatment.

And you know what?  The technique is super simple and inexpensive they say.  How that translates into $$$ and cents, we'll soon see but sounds good to me!

For the biochemistry and biology fans out there, here is a picture of the process involving CRISPR and the Cas9 protein at work in cutting the bad gene and duplicating a healthy DNA copy below.

Cas9 at work during the CRISPR process of editing a gene

 

So keep watch for more developments on this in a couple years where we'll start seeing firms, hospitals and not-for-profit organizations offering treatment for all sorts of debilitating diseases as well as all sorts of beneficial designer genetic modifications to the population... for a cost... :) .

 

Keep the revolution going, using great science! 

 

Support this sort of excellent research everywhere and we can create our own paradise of peace, harmony and health for all soon enough.