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Redefining Health: Genome Editing

November 2, 2021 by Collette Gordon Leave a Comment

In a world overwhelmed by genetic diseases that impact the longevity of babies, genome editing has been discovered as a potential pathway to mitigate this. While we may often view the natural process of genetics as untouchable, scientists are studying ways to tune our genome sequences. Yet, gene editing may press a potential threat to the longevity of the child and redefine the health standards in society. Although genome editing may lead to positive impacts on a child’s health, this may lead to unintended consequences on the child’s health later on in life and press challenges of conforming to society’s health standards.

For life-threatening diseases, genome editing may offer a potential pathway to longevity. Particularly, the CRISPR-Cas9 has the potential to mitigate potential diseases, caused by genetics.1 Although CRISPR is currently illegal to use on humans in the US, due to the potential health side-effects and unintended genetic changes.1 In addition, there is currently not enough research tests on humans to support its implementation, due to the potential threats that CRISPR could have on humans. This leaves a potential for studies underway but also displays the long road ahead for gene-editing. While the medicinal effects are not tuned, there also presses a humanitarian concern on the human-legality to edit genes. Although there are medicinal needs for gene-editing, this may also present a human rights concern over its potential misuse in the future.  

With the potential genetic changes, there also may be a concern about the potential control of industries on a child’s genome sequencing. Orchid Biosciences offers a way to control the health impacts on a child by mitigating the presence of common diseases like diabetes, breast cancer, and prostate cancer.2 Through parental genetic testing and a polygenic risk score that analyzes the potential of the disease to develop, this program can allow parents to determine the potential risks before conception. Followed by this, with IVF, a healthy embryo can be chosen to be born.2 While there is scientific concern on explaining the potential for each disease through polygenic risk analysis,2 there also may be a fear of the potential parental autonomy that is lost to the industry. This also displays a question on defining health standards that parents may feel that they need their child to live up to. As parents give their trust to Orchid Biosciences to determine the healthy embryo, they may risk the potential of inaccuracy. In the case that this testing is not accurate, this may allow for potential error in the child’s projected health. In addition, this program relies solely on genetics as the indicator of health in these common diseases. While it is also important to note the environmental and lifestyle effects that accompany the presence of these common diseases and offer a potential route to overcome these diseases.

Works Cited

[1] Ledford, Heidi. “CRISPR Gene Editing in Human Embryos Wreaks Chromosomal Mayhem.” Nature News, Nature Publishing Group, 25 June 2020, https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-01906-4. 

[2] Hercher, Laura. “A New Era of Designer Babies May Be Based on Overhyped Science.” Scientific American, Scientific American, 12 July 2021, https://


Collette Gordon

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