Gene drive technology: State of the question on science and ethics.
This document was first discussed and written by the ARRIGE Gene Drive group with Christian Siatka and Gaëtan Bugio as a chair, Ayola Adegnika, Mylene Botbol, Martina Crispo, Tony Nolan, Jerome Singh and Bruce Whitelaw. We thank the members of the ARRIGE Scientific Council for their feedback, which has considerably improved the quality of the document. It was a slow process largely due to COVID19. Authors had a great discussion over Zoom. It was possible to have this conversation over 4 continents and 5 different time zones and we received some great feedback.
The development of gene editing technologies over the last few years has considerably improved our understanding of biological processes by being able to change the genetic material of many organisms with versatility and ease and examine the effects of these changes. This understanding improves our prospects for the control of disease - either directly, by introducing genetic modifications that prevent and treat disease, or indirectly, by understanding the genetic causes of disease and allowing targeted therapies that specifically affect these processes. They also have a scientific and cultural impact on our representations of what is human and modify the extent of our ethical responsibilities and require a dialogue between social sciences and STEM disciplines....