Gene editing technology: a double-edged sword for medical field

Gene editing technology springs up in recent years - in Brazil, it is used to produce transgenic mosquitoes to fight the rampant Zika virus; in the UK, it will be used to alter gene of human embryos, fertilized eggs develop into healthy to reveal gene mystery embryos.

Many people worry, gene editing technology makes rapid development of human society into ethical dilemmas. However, the estimated few people expect, it recently released US intelligence community annual global threat assessment report, to be included in the "mass destruction and the proliferation of weapons of" threat list.

The "leap" gene editing technology brings concerns. The report said, "As the wide distribution of this dual-use technology, low cost, and accelerating development among its intentional or unintentional misuse could have brought the national economy and national security a broad impact."

Gene editing techniques include the transformation of a variety of DNA in living cells new technologies. According to MIT "Technology Review" magazine's official website reported, this reflects the CIA, National Security Agency and other US spy agencies and intelligence gathering "collective wisdom" of the non-confidential report, there is no specific "name" something technology. Our first thought should be CRISPR technology. CRISPR technology is the latest and most common gene editing technology, low cost, easy to use. Just spend $ 60 can buy the basic materials needed CRISPR technology, the network even have free way to get these materials.

Doctoral tutor Xi Qiao Ran at School of Life Sciences in Tsinghua University told Technology Daily reporter, her own laboratory are using this technique. "CRISPR technology can be said to be a major breakthrough in the field of life sciences. Many tasks which were tough for the scientists now can be achieved in a very short period of. It would be a leap forward." But it is this "leap" that makes many people uneasy.



Daniel Gerstein, former Deputy Minister of the Department of Homeland Security, a senior policy analyst at the RAND Corporation, said he was worry that someone will incorrectly apply this technology to develop some powerful pathogens. In his view, there may be a gene editing catastrophic, for the genome is the essence of life.

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