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Expert Warns Of CRISPR Causing Class Warfare

Baby.charmedstar07/Pixabay

Humanity is living in an interesting age, where scientists can finally start manipulating the human genome in ways that were not possible before due to CRISPR. Many have even hypothesized that through these amazing gene-editing tool, humans could become stronger, smarter, and all around better. Unfortunately, it could also lead to class warfare, an expert on genetics warns.

Dr. David King is a molecular biologist and is the founder of the watchdog group Human Genetics Alert. In a recent opinion piece published on The Guardian, Dr. King throws some cautious words at readers, warning them about the dangers of a blind race towards medical progress at the cost of everything else.

He is particularly keen on cautioning the public about genetic manipulation, especially when it no longer has anything to do with treating actual conditions. Dr. King explains that there are already plenty of ways to address genetic conditions among infants via early testing.

“Scientists who started their careers hoping to treat sick people and prevent suffering are now earning millions of dollars creating drugs to “enhance cognitive performance” or performing cosmetic surgery. We already have consumer eugenics in the US egg donor market, where ordinary working-class women get paid $5,000 for their eggs while tall, beautiful Ivy League students get $50,000. The free market effectively results in eugenics,” Dr. King writes.

Of course, for every person that shares Dr. King’s concerns, there are those who say that being able to tamper with genetic traits in babies is still a long way off. A researcher from Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children, Dr. Janet Rossant said as much in another article published by The Guardian. According to her, designer babies are still not in the veil of reality as of right now.

“We are still a long way from serious consideration of using gene editing to enhance traits in babies,” Dr. Rossant explained. “We don’t understand the genetic basis of many of the human traits that might be targets for enhancement.”

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