CRISPR co-inventor Jennifer Doudna keynote address about responsible use of gene editing in future.

“What if a cell’s DNA could be edited just like the text of a document so that you could actually erase letters, you could erase whole sentences, [you could] replace sentences, and you could do things that would enable scientists to change the mutations that might cause genetic disease, make changes that allow us to understand the function of DNA and different kinds of organisms and perhaps, enable us to really direct the way that organisms are evolving on the planet?”

With this promising words about future of CRISPR Cas9 technology Jennifer Doudna, co-inventor of CRISPR Cas9 technology started her keynote address at 2017 South by Southwest (SXSW) conference.

The whole invention of CRISPR Cas9 technology is a result of curiosity developed research project aimed at understanding how bacteria fight viruses. It started as adaptive immune system in bacteria that could be harnessed into a powerful gene editing tool that will have profound influence on the world. What started in academic laboratory and is now adopted by clinicians, scientist, government regulatory agencies and commercial companies to develop the technology for human applications for eliminating many genetic diseases.  This is a very young technology ( 5 years )which is evolving very rapidly. 

She further cited many examples where the CRISPR Cas9 technology will find application in animals and plants. It’s application in plants could change the way we look at GMO foods. It can be used to create gene drivers that enable us to drive a trait through population very rapidly. This can be used in near future to create mosquitos that are resistant to infections, thereby limiting the spread of disease.

It will also increase our understanding of why certain genetic traits in a population makes them resistant to develop cancer.

Another application of the Cas9 technology is using it to create animals that are better suited for organ donors.  In principle, we can create organ donor pigs that are better suited for human organ replacement. 

In humans, one of the earliest clinical trials regarding the clinical application of using Cas9 gene editing technology will be to correct the mutation that causes sickle cell disease and is expected to start in couple of years.

Clinical trials are already ongoing in China and USA to make changes in immune system of cancer patients to make their immune cells capable of finding cancer cells  and mounting an immune response in destroying these cells.

All these are somatic applications of the amazing technology, it can also be used for altering the germ cells. Germ line editing application of Crispr technology is surrounded by ethical dilemmas because whatever changes are made will be transferred to coming generations.

It gives us powers to make changes to DNA that will be inherited by future generations. We will be creating traits that we consider enhancement and creating super humans.

Creating Superhumans: From Jennifer Doudna keynote speech.

At present human embryo editing, is only allowed for research purpose till 14 days stage of development and not for clinical use to get pregnant till the ethical and moral considerations are addressed fully across international borders.

She concluded her lecture by iterating her interest of developing this technology further by engaging and educating with public about ethical use of CRISPR for gene editing for treating genetic diseases and not for some sort of harmful effects.

She invited the public to visit the website of Innovative Genomic Institute, a partnership between  UC San Francisco and UC Berkeley which educates the public about coordination between various  institution to go forward with application of this technique in agriculture and responsible use in  human beings. 

Dr. Jennifer Doudna, Ph.D. was named one of Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in 2015.  She is a professor of molecular and cell biology and chemistry at the University of California, Berkeley, where she holds the Li Ka Shing Chancellor’s Chair in Biomedical and Health Sciences and is a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator.

Here is the full lecture at the SXSW conference,2017.