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Gene Editing: Avoiding the employment in taking out beta-thalassemia and sickle cell

inevitable like blood disorder that directly affects the oxygen’s transfer
in the blood.
Genome editing, more commonly 3) Blindness
known as gene editing is now a tool Again, this is a single
that can rescue people from the curse gene mutation that and
of genetic diseases. can be easily targeted

Let us develop our understanding as for any modification.
to what are genetic diseases. Genetic As the eyes are a very
By: Bilal Arshad diseases can be simply explained as sensitive organ in terms
of protection from the
(Karachi) diseases our genes carry from our
Reg # 20190500 immune system,CRISPR
forefathers and
we are likely to is a great candidate for this hereditary disease.
develop. These 4) AIDS
diseases generally As HIV is attached to
develop at a DNA while being inactive
specific age limit. it is backbreaking to
There are chances identify and treat it.
you may or may But fortunately, with a
not develop. tool like CRISPR, we can
So, this practice simply cut off infected
of genome editing relates back to the 1970s when we parts of the DNA.
would alter some of the genes of the targeted organism to 5) Cystic fibrosis
get our desired results, but this remodeling of the genome It is a recently developed
also altered other genes and produced dysfunctions in disease; it has been
the organism. The practical approach to developing the here for just about 40
technology was withdrawn, but more and more research years. Many therapies
was necessitated. can treat cystic fibrosis

By good luck and thousands of hours of research work to some extent and
CRISPR technology emerged. CRISPR (Clustered Regularly improve the patient’s
Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats) gene editing is a life expectancy but
technique developed from genetic engineering and was cannot remove it successfully. Luckily CRISPR can.
successfully tested in 2019. CRISPR system produces an 6) Muscular Dystrophy
enzyme Cas9 that can bind with DNA and can delete the Mutation in the DMD
targeted troubled gene. This technology gives humans the gene can result in
chance to break free from the curse of genetic diseases. Muscular Dystrophy.
Among many there are 7 genetic diseases that CRISPR Children born with this
technology has the chance to eliminate. suffer greatly as their
1) Cancer muscle degenerates
Yes, for those who at a very young age
from cancer because limiting their ability
their parents did and from any physical exercise as there is no treatment
before them their currently. But CRISPR trials on mice proved it can fix with
grandparents did. To further development in this technology.
some 86 people CRISPR 7) Huntington’s disease
technology has been A neurodegenerative
advantageous they (degeneration of
were treated in China the nervous system,
especially the neurons
and some in the US in the brain), disease
have also been through that has a very strong
the trial.Results were genetic component
satisfactory and now and occurs when inside
many affected also Huntington’s gene DNA sequence gets copied pasted
expect the same. several times, more copies = earlier it’s occurrence.

2) Blood disorder “ Let us all hope that this technology may evolve and help
Trials in Europe and all those affected “
the US proved its

ICMA Pakistan’s Students’ e-Magazine 24 Volume 2.1 | February 2020