Bias Against Gene Editing

Despite the possible benefits of genome editing, the potential effects on future generations may outweigh the positives according to Lanphier et al. The technology could easily be abused and used for non-therapeutic modifications. There is also a potential danger in using CRISPR/Cas9 for genome editing due to the possibility of making accidental changes elsewhere in the genome. This is problematic because the precise effects of the modification may not be known until birth or even years later. Genetic modification is further an issue legally due to the lack of policies regarding genome editing in some countries such as the US (Lanphier et al. 2015).