Hyderabad: For nearly half a century, researchers have been baffled by the mysterious functioning of genes. Years of research and testing have led to new technologies that can edit or manipulate human genes, cure life threatening diseases like cancer and a host of other mental disorders.
Just imagine, if one could specify the right gene that caused hereditary diseases and manipulate it by changing its sequence to create resistance to the disease itself.
This new era technology is now being harnessed by the Centre for Cellular & Molecular Biology (CCMB), Hyderabad.
Researchers at CCMB are now taking advantage of the state of the art CRISPR tool. This tool can make literally perfect edits to genes of almost all human and animal species.
CCMB is currently working on understanding the fundamentals of editing human genes, a technology that can alter genetic makeup creating a world of possibilities for treatment of diseases.
Dr Kuldeep Malik, ESI Hospital Delhi, said “Gene editing could be a blessing in disguise as innumerable diseases can be cured if one can manipulate genes. Omitting gene editing in humans, even insect genes can be edited to cure communicable diseases, for example, that of a mosquito. Diseases like malaria can be prevented if the mosquito gene can be edited and made resistant to the malarial parasite itself. This is not just a possibility; researchers are already working on it.”
While this breakthrough in technology can be advantages, Dr Somdatta Karak at CCMB said, “The technology is new and its potential is limitless. However, gene editing in the future will require regulation. There has to be a limit to how far one can go to use the technology. For example, a person suffering from sickle cell anemia could be cured, but does that mean it is morally right to start creating designer babies. The fine line needs to be drawn, while researchers at CCMB work feverishly towards a future of gene editing for the right causes like treating previously incurable diseases and eradicating a host of others.”
