For the very first time, U.S. officials have given the green light for scientists to experiment with the modification of human genes. It’s been approved in the hope of developing new anti-cancer technology. But the tests, undertaken on humans, have been underway for some time already. Elizabeth Parrish CEO of Bioviva spoke to RT. – Youtube
Sputnik News reports:
During their experiment, the research team is planning to use the red-hot gene-editing tool CRISPR to try to improve human immune cells that will allow the body to effectively combat cancer. CRISPR is expected to modify three different genome sites at once, a complicated procedure which has not been easy to carry out until now.
“For the CRISPR trial, a UPenn-led team wants to remove T cells from patients and use a harmless virus to give the cells a receptor for NY-ESO-1, a protein that is often present on certain tumors but not on most healthy cells. The modified T cells are then re-infused back into a patient and, if all goes well, attack the person’s NY-ESO-1-displaying tumors,” the journal wrote.
The experiments are expected to last for two years, and will be attended by 18 volunteers with various types of cancer: sarcoma, melanoma and myeloma. The genetic research will be carried out in three research centers: the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Houston and the University of California in San Francisco.
This new breakthrough in science opens up a huge realm of possibilities, potentially giving us the ability to fight all diseases including HIV and all forms of Cancer.
But should we be playing ‘God’ with nature ? Is early death by disease just the natural way of things, as harsh and cruel as death is should it not be respected?