this post was submitted on 05 Jun 2025
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https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/15/health/gene-editing-personalized-rare-disorders.html

This is a game changer a baby was saved by gene editing and imo it's important to use this to now get rid of all bad diseases like sickle cell anemia, blindness, deafness, all internal diseases and stuff that just hurts people

I AM NOT TALKING ABOUT APPEARANCE OR ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE MIND

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[–] N0t_5ure@lemmy.world 24 points 1 day ago

While I appreciate the sentiment, it really isn't possible or even desired. What we know about genetics is like the volume of water in the Great Lakes, and what we don't know is comparable to the volume of water in the world's oceans. While it seems like we know a lot, we really know very little, almost nothing in comparison to what we don't know.

Take sickle cell anemia. The disease is a recessive trait, and both parents have to be a carrier in order for the disease to occur. It is believed that carrying one gene for the trait improved resistance to certain parasites, and thus an evolutionary advantage, allowing the gene to spread. To eradicate the disease with crispr, you'd have to eradicate it from all of the carriers, which could have the potential for negative consequences.

In addition, in order to eradicate all genetic diseases, you'd have to genetically test everyone, even those who don't want to be tested because they are reasonably concerned about their privacy. Moreover, what if a sickle cell (or other disease) carrier, who is perfectly healthy, doesn't want to have their genome edited? Do we force it on them, or just sterilize them so that they cannot breed? Obviously there are some serious ethical considerations.

Further, crispr is not perfect. There can be off-target effects. The use of it may be warranted when an infant is going to die anyway, but what about scenarios where the issue isn't fatal? There is always a risk of introducing an unintended genetic defect, and widespread use greatly increases that risk.

Again, reducing devastating disease is a laudable goal, but we're just hairless apes tinkering around with the building blocks of life, and don't know near enough to eradicate genetic disease.

[–] Coyote_sly@lemmy.world 10 points 22 hours ago

This can't be serious. We can't even get people to take vaccines to the point that we're busy UN-eradicating diseases.

[–] Donjuanme@lemmy.world 10 points 23 hours ago (1 children)

Holy fuck this is a terrible idea.

The child was "saved" in that they can last longer until they'd die without a liver transplant.

It was successful because of how easy the liver is to target with medications.

"Fixing" one organ doesn't change the entire bodies genotype, female sex cells will continue to (potentially) carry the defect.

These genetic "diseases" are not all without any benefit, the most common example is sickle cell anemic people have higher resistance to malaria.

There's no telling how "fixing" things generically will alter other systems in the body, it was done to one organ to a briefly observed window of success, that's barely more than anecdotal evidence.

This is what I came up with in 5 minutes, I'm not a geneticist.

[–] Sackeshi@lemmy.world -1 points 23 hours ago

We could use gene editing to get the DNA of an organ and use it to clone a copy inside a pig for example and then use it for the patient.

While I know someone have benefits being a carrier in the west has zero benefits. People should at least be able to sign up to be test subject if they have a chronic or terminal illness

[–] southsamurai@sh.itjust.works 3 points 20 hours ago (1 children)

Iraducate?

Ima have to look that one up

[–] altphoto@lemmy.today 2 points 18 hours ago (1 children)

Ya no!u emandukate! Es de art of leahrnin thengs in chool. Spezailee fram bauks and teachairs teachaining al de quids.

[–] southsamurai@sh.itjust.works 2 points 16 hours ago

Nice to meet a San Lorenzano on lemmy!

[–] thesmokingman@programming.dev 2 points 19 hours ago (1 children)

A point I haven’t seen yet is just general eugenics. I know OP says “no appearance or mind” but genetic diseases directly affect those. Take deafness, for example. It can be genetic and therefore could be “fixed.” The deaf community would be fucking furious (cochlear implants can be incredibly controversial). Blindness can also be genetic. Cleft lips and club feet can be genetic (or influenced by) and they can be really gnarly so why wouldn’t we fix those? And since we’re fixing things, why not fix autism and Down’s syndrome (I know we said no mind but those are truly game changers!) and oh shit now we’re in Gattaca. Eugenics is bad. I won’t fully commit to a slippery slope because that’s a fallacy; I will say very convincing science fiction has been written about this and I have seen nothing under capitalism (or communism!) that convinces me that wouldn’t happen.

[–] Francisco@lemmy.world 1 points 16 hours ago (1 children)

You haven't addressed a key point on this discussion. Which tells me that either you don't know what you're writing about -- likely! -- or you're pulling a red herring.

[–] thesmokingman@programming.dev 1 points 9 hours ago

I must be pulling a red herring then

[–] shani66@ani.social 1 points 22 hours ago

It's insane to me the reaction people have to making our species better. Sure it might not be feasibly in reach yet and i wouldn't trust our systems to handle this as they are, but humans are fundamentally broken. Evolution is a terrible system that does not produce the best outcomes, we can (eventually) do better and we absolutely should.

[–] Robotunicorn@lemmy.world 1 points 23 hours ago

I’m with ya, but then how will big pharma profit off these diseases? This is why we can’t have nice (life enhancing) things.