Peril Resides In The Promise of Gene Editing

Washington Post
Nathan Gardels December 15 at 12:43 PM

Corrective intervention in the human genome promises the elimination of genetically induced disease, bolstering of the human immune system, and extended longevity. As Nobel laureate and former president of Caltech David Baltimore said to The WorldPost in the video above, we already understand enough to create humans in which a range of ailments are edited out — and scientists have only been at it for less than a century.

Yet if that process trespasses ethical boundaries agreed upon today by responsible scientists, it could change the human genome forever by altering the “germline” — gene sequences inherited and passed down through generations. That could be for the better, but quite possibly for the worse, since the interrelated genetic functions developed over the long history of evolution remain unknown, despite the advances Baltimore notes.

While the ethical and regulatory focus of concern has been on “designer babies” or threats to the human germline, the high risk of unintended consequences also applies to editing the genes of other life forms, from mice and mosquitos to microbes.


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Thank You Mr Gardels and Wash Po. 

No one's found a Schizophrenic or Bipolar gene yet. If someone gene edits a real physical problem back into line, even if the fix only works for a few weeks, you can bet the rent the Behavioral Scientists will be taking Their crack at 'Editing' mental illness genes.