For the first time in history, The genomic edition has been able to eliminate a hereditary disease of the DNA of several human embryos. The disease in question is called hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and is a fairly common heart condition that can cause sudden death in athletes and young people.
But this is just the beginning, this experiment (which they already call "the scientific study of the year") opens the door to eradicate hundreds of cancers, dozens of inherited diseases and almost 10,000 rare diseases. The future was this.
The scientific study of the year
The research team has used CRISPR, a technology that works like a 'molecular scalpel' and that allows to modify the genome of any living being in a simple and very precise way. As a curiosity, CRISPR was discovered by a Spaniard, Francisco Mojica, 25 years ago at the University of Alicante. Today is a revolution.
To get rid of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, researchers have gone to the root of the problem: the MYBPC3 gene. Or, rather, one of the two copies of that gene that exist in the genome. This disease is caused by the defects of one of those copies.
To edit it they needed to use a sequence of CRISPR-Cas9 designed to replace the defective copy of the genome by another from healthy donors. In recent years tests had been done with this technique, but the real innovation is that they applied the sequence at the same time that the sperm entered the ovule.
This generated a healthy genome from the moment of conception.. That is, for the first time it has been possible to produce fully viable embryos without additional genetic errors.
This changes everything
The genetic revolution has begun and is going at a heart attack rate. Only five years ago, Charpentier and Doudna identified the minimum elements with which CRISPR could be used to cut and modify DNA. Today we were able to create healthy embryos for the first time.
And that despite legal and financial obstacles have been very important. We must not forget that an experiment like this would be illegal in Spain and that, in the United States, where it has been carried out, this type of research cannot receive public funds.
We have just taken a millimeter step for a sperm, but a huge step for humanity. The future now depends on our ability to solve ethical, legal and social problems that can be derived from these scientific advances. And, who knows, in less than a decade we have managed to eradicate some of the most terrible diseases of mankind.
