Gene Editing

Question 1

What was the controversial gene editing scandal in china

Answer 1

• Chinese scientists removed the window that HIV is contracted from through gene editing
• Genetic trait making kids that were a product of IVF immune to HIV people said it was unethical and dangerous
• he went to jail and was charged
• to the public, he was looked upon as he started research that no one had ever done

Question 2

What is CRISPR

Answer 2

Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats
- Short, repeating segments of DNA found within the genomes of certain
organisms
- derived from DNA fragments from
viruses that have previously tried to attack the cell line
- have the potential to modify the genes of almost any organism

Question 3

CRISPR-Cas 9

Answer 3

• A gene-editing technology involving the Cas9 enzyme, which uses
  CRISPR sequences as a guide to recognize and cut specific strands of
  DNA at a desired location
• allows existing genes to be removed
  and/or new ones added

Question 4

potential applications of gene editing

Answer 4

To correct harmful mutations in the human genome
- Cystic fibrosis
- Duchenne muscular dystrophy
- Hemophilia
- Huntington’s disease
- Parkinson’s disease
- Sickle cell disease
- Tay-Sachs

Question 5

2 Potential applications of gene editing

Answer 5

1. somatic (non productive) cell therapy
2. germline editing

Question 6

Somatic Cell Therapy

Answer 6

The use of genetic engineering to modify non-reproductive cells in order to treat genetic disease
- not so controversial
- consent to doing so

Question 7

Why is germ-line editing controversial?

Answer 7

• It is heritable for offspring
• edit will be passed on forever to future generations

Question 8

Central ethical concerns

Answer 8

• Limited evidence of safety and efficacy; limited lab or animal
  work has been done on engineering embryos
• Putting children (who can’t consent) at risk of harm (e.g., due to off-target editing)
• Germline editing

Question 9

is gene editing legal in Canada?

Answer 9

• it is prohibited to alter the genome of a human being or in vitro embryo

Question 10

What are the different uses of gene editing

Answer 10

• Therapeutic vs. non-therapeutic purposes ex; human enhancement
• somatic vs germline gene editing
• Reproductive vs. laboratory purposes (i.e., restricted to in vitro
  use and not implanted to be born)

Question 11

Oviedo convention (1999)

Answer 11

Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Dignity of the Human Being with regard to the Application of Biology and Medicine: Convention on Human Rights and Biomedicine

Question 12

Article 13 – Interventions on the Human Genome

Answer 12

• “An intervention seeking to modify the human genome may only be
  undertaken for preventive, diagnostic or therapeutic purposes and
  only if its aim is not to introduce any modification in the genome of
  any descendants.”
• Prohibits germline editing
• Allows somatic editing

Question 13

UK laws regarding gene editing

Answer 13

allowed for research purposes, but cannot implant the embryo

Question 14

What are the policies on heritable genome editing for reproduction in most of the world?

Answer 14

Prohibited in most countries