Ethics of CRISPR/Cas9 Gene Editing Technologies

Abstract

Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR/Cas9) gene editing technology represents one of the most transformative biomedical innovations of the twenty-first century. By enabling precise modifications to the human genome, including the targeted addition, deletion, or replacement of DNA sequences, CRISPR holds enormous potential for treating and preventing hereditary and genetic diseases previously considered incurable. This paper examines the ethical landscape surrounding CRISPR technologies, distinguishing between somatic editing, which modifies only the treated individual’s cells, and germline editing, which introduces heritable changes passed to future generations. The paper analyzes the central tension between two opposing viewpoints: those who advocate for a moratorium on germline genomic editing due to fears of eugenics and permanent generational alteration, and those who argue that restricting CRISPR would deny patients access to life-saving somatic treatments. At the molecular level, this paper reviews the CRISPR/Cas9 mechanism in detail, including guide RNA design, PAM recognition, double-strand break induction, and the competing DNA repair pathways of NHEJ and HDR, to contextualize the ethical stakes of this precision technology. Drawing on scientific literature and real-world case studies, including the successful personalized somatic CRISPR treatment of infant KJ in Philadelphia, this paper argues that neither a full moratorium nor unregulated adoption constitutes an adequate solution. Instead, the establishment of an international regulatory body, empowered to monitor, report, and govern the use of gene editing technologies, offers the most balanced and utilitarian path forward. Ultimately, society must prioritize both the life-saving potential of somatic CRISPR and the strict prevention of germline misuse to ensure equitable, ethical, and scientifically responsible global implementation.