CRISPR/Cas9-1

Consider this:
Our body has 30 trillion cells.

Each of these 30 trillion cells has a central nucleus. Inside it, there are books of chromosomes that store all the information that makes us who we are. They code for our height, our color of hair, color of eyes, intelligence, aggressive behavior, volatile nature, everything. They decide who we are and what will be our fate in this life.

This code book in each cell uses only 4 alphabets, the A-T-G-C . The book of Human Genome in us contains three billion letters. Written out, the Human Genome would stretch 9,000 km. That is twice the distance between the longest train service of Indian Railways.

It would take a typist working eight hours a day half a century to type them. And if printed it would fill one million A4 pages. They will make 5,000 books. If stacked they will be 200 feet high.

Each segment of these chromosome that codes for one single item (like say Hemoglobin) is called a Gene. We have counted 20 thousand Genes in human body till date.

Here is the catch.
One single spelling mistake in that A-T-G-C code of hemoglobin permanently changes the shape of the hemoglobin into a sickle. A sickled hemoglobin fails to carry oxygen. Consequently, the child suffers from the dreadful disease called Sickle Cell Anemia life long.

And the catch-22:
Gene Editing is now possible.

In 2012, Jennifer Doudna discovered the CRISPR/Cas9 technology that can edit these defects in genes like a word processor that can replace any word in a long essay by another word.

This is the single most outstanding discovery of mankind since the theory of Relativity. It is an audacious hot potato. Even the Nobel committee dreads to touch this because of the ethical dilemma it brings.

This leads us to the question for the weekend.
Should humans be allowed to edit their genes ?
In other words, should we allow to make ourselves designer babies in the future: tall, dark, handsome, intelligent yet humble babies as per order ?

How far is it ethical to change a live baby using CRISPR ?

Jennifer Doudna has opened the Pandora’s Box.

Published by Dr. Ramakanta

Pediatrician and occasional blogger

One thought on “CRISPR/Cas9-1

  1. Basically we believe in unseen supreme power
    We believe our fate is designed by him according to Karmas of our previous birth.Then if this CRISPR technology applied then will this creature called human being obey the law of nature? COVID has given a great lesson that nature can function in a better way in the absence of this community.Every technology is missused.I think this will disrupt the law of nature as this homosapiens has always a tendency to misuse the inventions made for benifit of mankind.

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