Bioethical Implications of CRISPER Gene Editing Technology: Halachic Perspectives
Frank Lieberman, M.D., Professor of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Medical Oncology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and Director, Adult Neurooncology Program, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center
The discovery of Clustered Regularly Interspersed Short Palandromic Repeats (CRISPER) associated with endonucleases (CAS), a system in bacteria which defends against invading viruses, has provided the most versatile genomic engineering tool known to date. CRISPER capabilities include precisely targeted gene editing, which allow the possibility of specifically targeting genes in the mammalian genome and allowing precise modifications of the genetic code. Applications of this technology include correction of disease causing gene mutations such as those responsible for sickle cell anemia and neurologic disorders such as infantile spinal muscular atrophy. The rapid pace of CRISPER research has identified methods of modifying the expression of multiple genes by modifying the proteins associated with the DNA.
Recently CRISPER-CAS systems which modify RNA provide the option of modifying gene expression transiently without effecting the genome itself. These techniques are being evaluated as potential treatment strategies for cancer. The bioethical implications of the power which CRISPER-CAS technologies place in human hands were recognized by the initial discoverers of the system. Bioethical considerations have been part of the development of CRISPER and inform the regulatory framework which the National Institutes of Health and Food and Drug Administration will be responsible for administering.
Halacha (Jewish religious law) analyzes novel bioethical issues by identifying relevant precedents in the application of the principles derived in the Talmud and codified in subsequent religious legal codes. The bioethical issues in the application of this powerful technology recapitulate to some extent the controversies engendered by cloning techniques in the later part of the 20th century. Jewish religious law has sanctioned therapeutic cloning applications as well as some applications of reproductive cloning to address infertility. The rabbinic scholars who are recognized as authoritative decision makers in bioethics have not yet articulated positions on the applications of CRISPER technologies. We hope to inform this process. In this presentation we hope to provide a preliminary framework for understanding how halachic authorities will address the range of medical applications while maintaining the humility required when considering potential manipulation of the human genome. These include considerations of the reliability and safety of the gene editing techniques, weighing the risks of genetic therapies against the severity of the illnesses being targeted, whether somatic or germline DNA is being manipulated, and the distinction between therapeutic and non-therapeutic applications.
Recently CRISPER-CAS systems which modify RNA provide the option of modifying gene expression transiently without effecting the genome itself. These techniques are being evaluated as potential treatment strategies for cancer. The bioethical implications of the power which CRISPER-CAS technologies place in human hands were recognized by the initial discoverers of the system. Bioethical considerations have been part of the development of CRISPER and inform the regulatory framework which the National Institutes of Health and Food and Drug Administration will be responsible for administering.
Halacha (Jewish religious law) analyzes novel bioethical issues by identifying relevant precedents in the application of the principles derived in the Talmud and codified in subsequent religious legal codes. The bioethical issues in the application of this powerful technology recapitulate to some extent the controversies engendered by cloning techniques in the later part of the 20th century. Jewish religious law has sanctioned therapeutic cloning applications as well as some applications of reproductive cloning to address infertility. The rabbinic scholars who are recognized as authoritative decision makers in bioethics have not yet articulated positions on the applications of CRISPER technologies. We hope to inform this process. In this presentation we hope to provide a preliminary framework for understanding how halachic authorities will address the range of medical applications while maintaining the humility required when considering potential manipulation of the human genome. These include considerations of the reliability and safety of the gene editing techniques, weighing the risks of genetic therapies against the severity of the illnesses being targeted, whether somatic or germline DNA is being manipulated, and the distinction between therapeutic and non-therapeutic applications.