We are seeing it in the news, although in more technical terms. No one will be able to say later that they did not see it coming.
Last week it emerged that an American researcher has developed a method that could revolutionize gene editing, that is, the intentional alteration of DNA. David Liu and his team have published in the journal Nature the results of 175 experiments with human cells in which they obtain a precision never seen before in the application of the CRISPR technique, the most widely used today to modify the genome. This tool, present in laboratories around the world since the beginning of this decade, allows fragments of information to be inserted into DNA strands. It is the great hope of millions of patients with genetic diseases creating superhumans.
It turns out, however, that CRISPR still has a lot of room for improvement: it usually generates genetic mutations (hence why the technique is still being tested on animals). Liu’s merit is that, it seems, he is able to succeed in
In Search of the Superhuman
Some have not had to wait for the reliability of CRISPR to reach acceptable levels to launch experiments on humans. The Chinese scientist
The twins Lulu and Nana (as Dr. He’s human guinea pigs are called) will be joined by a third genetically modified baby also in China, whose birth could have already taken place. Russian molecular biologist Denis Rebrikov, meanwhile, announced this summer his intention to conduct experiments on babies. Her goal, like He, would be to alter embryos of mothers with HIV so that children are born immune to the disease. Rebrikov believes that Russian legislation is ambiguous enough to accommodate his experiment.
The first steps
Having state regulations that prohibit the genetic alteration of healthy embryos is not enough to avoid ethically questionable results. The line between medical progress and development of
Ethical considerations do not seem to be enough in China, where on paper the human genome cannot be altered but in practice it has happened at least two or three times (as far as is known). Russia could be the next territory in which genetically modified babies are born, and there is nothing to suggest that more countries will not be added to this list. Who will allow themselves to be left behind?
Futurologist Gerd Leonhard does not rule out that we will soon see countries use genetics as a weapon, for example using the genome of 100 million people to create a kind of super-soldier. There are two ways to have enhanced abilities: to be bitten by a radioactive spider and become Spider-Man or to have the best genetic material from a large mass of the population. The second seems simpler.
The race to reach the superhuman has already begun. We are seeing it in the news, although in more technical terms. No one will be able to say later that they did not see it coming.
