CRISPR CAS9-2

(Know your Body with Dr RK Mahapatra.)

CRISPR CAS9 is the new Gene editing program which is going to change the next generation of human race.

Just like vaccination wiped out Small pox, Poliomyelitis from the face of Earth, it has the power to delete genetic diseases and cancers afflicting the humanity.

In contrast to the last century, we don’t see polio victims in front of our temples any more. Similarly in future we can say Goodbye to few deadly Genetic diseases and Cancers from the face of the Earth .

Basics:

Our body consists of 30 trillion cells. Each cell has a nucleus at its core that contains the blue print of who we are. They are the genes that decide whether you will be tall or dark, short and fair, sick or healthy.

We have identified 20,000 such genes that are written only in 4 alphabets: A, T, G and C. This system contains roughly 3 billion codons.

A single typos in this 3 billion worded book may permanently cripple you.

For example:

1. when the letter T is replaced by A in one strategic point of the Hemoglobin Gene, the scaffolding for the RBC bends. This results in sickled Red cells that fail to carry oxygen. The child becomes a life long anemic, needs repeatedly fresh blood transfusion for the rest of his life.

2. We have a STOP Gene for the growth of our breast cells. When this Gene is defective the breast cells go on multiplying without stop. Breast Cancer people have a defective BRCA Gene. Angelina Jolie had famously got her both breasts and ovaries removed when she found herself to be BRCA +ve.

3. We have a black color proteins called Melanin that gives us our skin tan. Some people have a point defect in this Melanin Gene. Albinos suffer immensely from pale skin, white hair and blue eyes because of a point defect in their Gene.

CRISPR is a scissor with which we can slice these point defects in our Gene and delete all the three diseases from the face of the Earth just like vaccination has wiped out Small pox.

It has a powerful search operation like Google search that can home in to them point defects in our gene. We can have the option to either cut it out, repair it or leave it as such.

But It has three limitations.
( To be continued..)