A well-known editor of the CRISPR genome can save a person from serious illnesses before birth. But what if we use this technology not only in medical, but also for cosmetic purposes? It is possible that such a service will appear in the future.
As reported by The Independent, a group of British researchers have already mastered the technology of editing genes in order to influence the appearance of offspring. Scientists say that with the help of CRISPR it is possible to change the color of the eyes, the color of the hair and even to ask the growth of the future child. It is worth noting that earlier in the UK the intrauterine change in DNA was considered a serious moral and ethical problem and was unacceptable. However, recently the situation has changed very much and now such procedures are completely permissible. According to the professor of the Nuffield Council on Bioethics Karen Jung,
“I believe that the introduction of changes in the human DNA molecule is possible only if two conditions are met. First: it should not contribute to the growth of discrimination and the second: the changes should not contribute to the stratification of society. ”
However, in the near future, it is not worth waiting for the appearance of such a procedure. After all, you need to conduct a lot of tests to begin with. And even though CRISPR has been used for intrauterine treatment of various diseases such as autism, congenital malformations of organs or a predisposition to cancer, the genome editor has not been used for a long time.
