CRISPR Controversy

The controversy over using CRISPR gene editing to modify human embryos continues to escalate as a Russian geneticist announced plans to seek approval for using the method to prevent inherited forms of deafness. Five couples, all of whom are deaf due to mutations in the GJB2 gene, have agreed to the procedure in hopes of carrying a hearing biological child to term.

The announcement has drawn criticism from the scientific community as well as social groups that view deafness as a culture rather than a disability. Many deaf individuals lead fulfilling lives without the need for medical interventions, making a risky procedure like CRISPR highly unwarranted.

In general, bioethicists argue that human CRISPR trials should be limited to embryos with fatal conditions, and only when there are no other alternatives to prevention. The dangers of moving forward with this technology, which is still largely unproven in humans, go beyond eventual attempts to use it for other unacceptable reasons – such as “designer babies.” The inadvertent creation of fatal mutations that could be passed on to future generations is a concern that cannot be overlooked, and will require far more research in order to guard against.