Why Are Scientists Genetically-Modifying Human Embryos?

The controversial can of worms that is genetic modification was reopened anew last week as reports confirmed that scientists in China had performed the practice upon human embryos. The confirmation heralded the first time that human embryos have been the subject of genetic modification, sparking a debate about the ethics and the sagacity of pursuing the discipline.

It had been suspected for some time that such experiments were being conducted in China, but a report published by Junjiu Huang and his team at Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou is the first time it has been publicly acknowledged. The team used a technique called Crispr to attempt to modify the gene which causes the potentially-fatal blood disorder beta-thalassaemia.

Genetic Modification – Good or Bad?

Genetically-modified organisms (GMOs) have been something of a fixture in global consciousness for a while now. Though manipulating crops can help to increase their rate of growth, size and yield, thus potentially alleviating food shortages across the globe, there has long been a discussion about the morality of messing with nature.

For starters, the manipulation of natural elements can lead to unpredictable consequences. In agriculture, tampering with crops can have adverse effects on smaller animals, which can have a knock-on effect on the food chain. They could also potentially have unpredictable consequences for those with allergies and could lead to the increased use of pesticides or other unnatural elements.

For more information on the topic, see the article The Pros and Cons of Genetically-Modified Organisms.

GM and Humans

If manipulating plants generated controversy, you can bet that modifying human cells will do so tenfold. Back in 2013, approval was received for clinical trials using GM cells to combat cancer. However, it’s one thing to modify cells in order to attempt to battle one of the most deadly diseases known to man. It’s quite another to manipulate a human embryo before it is even properly fully developed.

Yet that’s exactly what Huang and his team did in Guangzhou. They used abnormal embryos from fertility clinics which were incapable of developing into healthy babies and were earmarked for destruction. As such, Huang argues that no moral boundaries were breached.

However, not everyone agrees. Many researchers have made their voices heard by calling for a worldwide moratorium on the practice, stating it is unsafe and unethical. Indeed, the fact that modification of embryos would affect not only the developing child, but also his or her offspring, and their offspring (ad infinitum) is certainly a cause for concern.

Furthermore, the possibility of “off-target” edits (unintended changes made to healthy genes) was proved to be significantly higher during Huang’s study than previously thought. Its unpredictability makes it a wildly dangerous practice, while the efficacy of it was not strengthened by the study. The successful manipulation of the gene to avoid beta-thalassaemia only occurred in a tiny fraction of embryos tested, which led to the abandonment of the study.

However, certain quarters of the scientific world remain convinced that such studies will be ongoing. Dusko Ilic, who researches stem cells at King’s College in London, claimed: “You cannot stop science. No matter what moratorium is proposed, you cannot stop this work continuing around the world.”