UK Clears Gene-Editing Therapy for Rare Blood Disorder
UK Clears Gene-Editing Therapy Forfor Rare Blood Disorder
The Facts
The UK's National Health Service (NHS) has been cleared to use gene-editing therapy to treat the blood disorder beta thalassaemia.
The therapy, termed Casgevy, may help the estimated 2.3k people in the UK with thalassaemia, a rare group of inherited disorders in which the body produces too little hemoglobin and stunts its ability to carry oxygen through.The therapy, termed Casgevy, may help the estimated 2.3k people in the UK with thalassaemia, a rare group of inherited disorders in which the body produces too little hemoglobin, stunting its ability to carry oxygen.
The Spin
Gene-editing therapy will revolutionize thalassemia treatment with the UK’s approval of the groundbreaking Casgevy therapy. It corrects the faulty gene responsible for thalassemia, offering a potential lifelong cure. Previously, the only permanent solution was a bone marrow transplant, requiring a closely matched donor. Casgevy, instead, uses the patient’s own stem cells to produce healthy hemoglobin, drastically reducing the need for regular blood transfusions.
As CRISPR receives an outpouring of positive coverage due to its expected ability to cure diseases, it's important not to forget the negative side of the gene-editing industry. Gene-editing, if left unchecked, will undoubtedly go beyond fixing blood diseases and lead to a world where all differences among humans are artificially eradicated. We shouldn't allow the medical industry to play God when it comes to how we're born and how we develop.
