CRISPR-Cas9 is an RNA-based system originally discovered as an immune mechanism in bacteria and archaea, now adapted by scientists to make precise, inexpensive alterations to the human genome.<\/p>\n
The technology utilizes a Cas9 endonuclease guided by a single guide RNA (sgRNA) to create double-strand breaks at specific DNA sequences.<\/strong> These breaks are repaired via non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) or, if a donor template is present, homology-directed repair (HDR), which allows for precise gene correction.<\/p>\n Clinical progress has been significant<\/strong>, particularly for monogenic disorders:<\/p>\n Ethical Dilemmas and “Designer Babies”<\/strong><\/p>\n The most contentious application involves<\/strong> germline editing<\/strong>, that is, altering embryos so that changes are passed to future generations. A major ethical crisis occurred in 2018 when twin girls were born in China with CRISPR-edited embryos intended to provide HIV resistance, sparking global condemnation over the lack of transparency and unknown long-term effects.<\/p>\n Key ethical concerns include:<\/strong><\/p>\n Regulatory Landscape<\/strong><\/p>\n Regulations vary globally: countries like Germany and Canada have strict prohibitions on embryonic research, while the UK and US allow limited, non-reproductive research under rigorous oversight.<\/p>\n The authors conclude that while CRISPR offers “enormous promise,” it requires a unified global governance framework to ensure scientific progress does not compromise human dignity or equity.<\/p>\n Reference<\/strong> Shafique, K., Nadeem, H., Hussain, Z., & Raza, A. (2026). CRISPR-Cas9 in human Gene Therapy: Clinical Progress, Ethical Dilemmas, and Regulatory Responses. MENA Journal of Bioscience Research<\/em><\/a>, 1(2).\u00a0 https:\/\/doi.org\/10.64913\/mmrmjbr.v1i1.18<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Article summarized by Zoya Hussain<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" CRISPR-Cas9 is an RNA-based system originally discovered as an immune mechanism in bacteria and archaea, now adapted by scientists to make precise, inexpensive alterations to the human genome. The technology utilizes a Cas9 endonuclease guided by a single guide RNA (sgRNA) to create double-strand breaks at specific DNA sequences. These breaks are repaired via non-homologous …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":40352,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[69],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-40349","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-public-health"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n
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