Current Science

Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Subscription Access

Redesigning Nature:To Be or not to Be?


Affiliations
1 Department of Biochemistry, School of Biological Sciences, Dayananda Sagar Institutions, India
2 School of Basic and Applied Sciences, Dayananda Sagar University, Shavige Malleshwara Hills, Kumarswamy Layout, Bengaluru 560 078, India
 

The concept of designer babies' is indeed intriguing, wherein offspring characteristics can be modified in the embryonic stage by gene editing. Genome editing has got an immense boost with the advent of the Cas/CRISPR technology that utilizes proteins from a bacterial immune system to remove defective genes and replaces them with a rectified edition. The technique is proving to be successful in fighting a host of genetic diseases, including cancer and has even made headway with HIV. The technology has sparked a revolution in genomics with a storm brewing over its patent rights.

Keywords

Designer Babies, Genome Editing, Patent Rights, Redesigning Nature.
User
Notifications
Font Size

  • Adhikari, K. et al., A genome-wide association scan in admixed Latin Americans identifies loci influencing facial and scalp hair features. Nature Commun., 2016, 7, 10815.

  • Gupta, R. M. and Musunuru, K., Expanding the genetic editing tool kit: ZFNs, TALENs, and CRISPR-Cas9. J. Clin. Invest, 2014, 124, 4154–4161.

  • Tong, C. et al., Generating gene knockout rats by homologous recombination in embryonic stem cells. Nature Protoc., 2011, 6, 827–844.

  • Jinek, M. et al., A programmable dual-RNA–guided DNA endonuclease in adaptive bacterial immunity. Science, 2012, 337, 816–821.

  • Cong, L. et al., Multiplex genome engineering using CRISPR/Cas systems. Science, 2013, 339, 819–823.

  • Mali, P. et al., RNA-guided human genome engineering via Cas9. Science, 2013, 339, 823–826.

  • Cho, S. W. et al., Targeted genome engineering in human cells with the Cas9 RNA-guided endonuclease. Nature Biotechnol., 2013, 31, 230–232.

  • Bassuk, A. G. et al., Precision medicine: genetic repair of retinitis pigmentosa in patient-derived stem cells. Sci. Rep., 6; doi: 10.1038/srep19969.

  • Kang, H. et al., CCR5 disruption in induced pluripotent stem cells using CRISPR/Cas9 provides selective resistance of immune cells to CCR5-tropic HIV-1 Virus. Mol. Ther. Nucleic Acids, 2015, 4, (accepted and published online).

  • Wang, Z. et al., CRISPR/Cas9-derived mutations both inhibit HIV-1 replication and accelerate viral escape. Cell Rep., 2016, 15, 481–489.

  • DiCarlo, J. E. et al., Genome engineering in Saccharomyces cerevisiae using CRISPR-Cas systems. Nucleic Acids Res., 2013, 1–8.

  • Sánchez-Rivera, F. J. and Jacks, T., Applications of the CRISPRCas9 system in cancer biology. Nature Rev. Cancer, 2015, 15, 387–395.

  • Ni, W. et al., Efficient gene knockout in goats using CRISPR/Cas9 system. PLoS ONE, 2014, 9, e106718.

  • Wang, K. et al., Efficient generation of myostatin mutations in pigs using the CRISPR/Cas9 system. Sci. Rep., 2015, 5, 16623.

  • Crispo, M. et al., Efficient generation of myostatin knock-out sheep using CRISPR/Cas9 technology and microinjection into zygotes. PLoS ONE, 2015, 10, e0136690.

  • Wang, X. et al., One-step generation of triple gene-targeted pigs using CRISPR/Cas9 system. Sci. Rep., 2016, 6 (accepted, available online).

  • Baltimore, D. et al., A prudent path forward for genomic engineering and germline gene modification. Science, 2015, 348, 36–38.

  • Center for Genetics and Society, About human germline gene editing; http://www.geneticsandsociety.org/article.php?id=8711 (accessed on 10 June 2016).

  • Regalado, A. CRISPR patent fight now a winner–take–all match. MIT Technol. Rev., 2015; https://www.technologyreview.com/s/ 536736/crispr-patent-fight-now-a-winner-take-all-match/ (accessed on 15 June 2016).

  • Hsu, P. D. and Lander, E. S. and Zhang, F., Development and applications of CRISPR–Cas9 for genome engineering. Cell, 2014, 157, 1262–1278.

  • Sterckx, S. et al., ‘I prefer a child with …’: designer babies, another controversial patent in the arena of direct-to-consumer genomics. Genet. Med. Off. J. Am. Coll. Med. Genet., 2013, 15, 923–924.

  • Evans, M., Designer babies – why not? N. Z. Bioethics. J., 2001, 2, 17–25.


Abstract Views: 932

PDF Views: 148




  • Redesigning Nature:To Be or not to Be?

Abstract Views: 932  |  PDF Views: 148

Authors

Jayashree Das
Department of Biochemistry, School of Biological Sciences, Dayananda Sagar Institutions, India
Pritha Dey
Department of Biochemistry, School of Biological Sciences, Dayananda Sagar Institutions, India
Pradipta Banerjee
School of Basic and Applied Sciences, Dayananda Sagar University, Shavige Malleshwara Hills, Kumarswamy Layout, Bengaluru 560 078, India

Abstract


The concept of designer babies' is indeed intriguing, wherein offspring characteristics can be modified in the embryonic stage by gene editing. Genome editing has got an immense boost with the advent of the Cas/CRISPR technology that utilizes proteins from a bacterial immune system to remove defective genes and replaces them with a rectified edition. The technique is proving to be successful in fighting a host of genetic diseases, including cancer and has even made headway with HIV. The technology has sparked a revolution in genomics with a storm brewing over its patent rights.

Keywords


Designer Babies, Genome Editing, Patent Rights, Redesigning Nature.

References





DOI: https://doi.org/10.18520/cs%2Fv112%2Fi07%2F1346-1350