The Role of CRISPR-Cas9 Technology in Genetic Editing in Medicine and Ethical Issues

Abstract

The CRISPR-Cas system is a system found in prokaryotes and is responsible for adaptive immunity, causing a revolutionary impact in the fields of Medicine and Genetic Engineering. At its core, this system consists of a series of DNA sequences called CRISPR (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats) and proteins called Cas (CRISPR-associated protein). Cas proteins use CRISPR sequences as a guide to recognize and cut specific DNA strands. While genetic engineering techniques have been used throughout history, the CRISPRCas technology is distinct from others because it is a method that can be applied to almost any organism's genome, providing precision, rapid results, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness. These features have captured the attention of the scientific community. However, this ease of accessibility and applicability may also lead to increased potential risks.