Regulating human genome editing in Australia : overdue legislative review

Genome editing is a method that allows scientists to change the DNA of organisms including plants, animals, and bacteria. Around the world, scientists are exploring different techniques, including the newer technology called CRISPR-Cas/9 (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats), removing mutating genes that cause heritable diseases and conditions such as Parkinson’s or muscular dystrophy. However, there are several issues, ethical and technical, associated with CRISPR, including the various concerns about the unintended consequences of using this cutting-edge technology on humans. This controversy marks a fresh chapter of a profoundly important debate about the future of gene editing in humans which has implications for the entire human species. This article will explore the science of CRISPR, the grave ethical, social, and safety concerns surrounding this technique, and an analysis of the Australian regulation governing human genome editing.