A key reason gene editing shouldn't be deregulated is all the hype about its precision & accuracy is BS. Even Harvard's George Church calls #CRISPR "a blunt axe". He says, "it's called editing, I think it's really genome vandalism." Yet the Govt thinks it needs no safety checks!
https://twitter.com/GMWatch/status/1371481157267771393
More & more studies in human, animal & plant cells show gene editing gives rise to numerous genetic errors (aka unintended mutations—DNA damage) at both off-target sites & on-target (at the desired editing site). These include large deletions, insertions & rearrangements of DNA. 
A commentary in the journal Nature noted that a suite of studies had found #CRISPR gene-editing in human embryos "wreaks chromosomal mayhem". This included large, unwanted changes to the genome that the journal said could be missed in many experiments nature.com/articles/d4158… #gmo
A recent study found large-scale unintended mutations at the intended editing site in #CRISPR gene-edited rice plants. These mutations were the same type as those found in human embryo research—namely large insertions, deletions and rearrangements of DNA gmwatch.org/en/news/latest…
The researchers who conducted the rice study concluded, “Understanding of uncertainties and risks regarding genome editing is necessary and critical BEFORE a new global policy for the new biotechnology is established." But in the UK there's a rush to deregulate gene-editing NOW!
Molecular geneticist Dr Michael Antoniou warns: "It's critical that regulators take note of the similarity of such findings in animal, human, and plant systems, and keep gene-edited products regulated and labelled, using current EU #GMO laws as a *minimum* standard." #NewGMO
Industry can't be trusted to self-regulate on safety. Example: The biotech firm Recombinetics claimed its gene editing of cattle was so precise "our animals are free of off-target events." And they had "all the scientific data" to prove it. But the FDA found out this was total BS
In the genomes of Recombinetics' gene-edited cattle, FDA researchers found unintentionally integrated plasmids containing complete gene sequences conferring resistance to 3 antibiotics (neomycin, kanamycin & ampicillin). With deregulation the FDA wouldn't ever have been checking!
Key point—Scientists associated with Recombinetics claimed "it is hard to see why the process of genome editing to introduce defined genetic changes should be regulated".
Yet the very kind of scrutiny they said wasn't needed was what exposed big problems independentsciencenews.org/news/fda-finds…
Yet the very kind of scrutiny they said wasn't needed was what exposed big problems independentsciencenews.org/news/fda-finds…
Take away: Gene editing introduces new risks, and existing biosafety regs need updating to take account of these, not removing completely!!
Action: Let the UK Govt know (TODAY!) that gene editing needs rigorous safety checks & labelling—not deregulation! gmfreeze.org/current-action…
Action: Let the UK Govt know (TODAY!) that gene editing needs rigorous safety checks & labelling—not deregulation! gmfreeze.org/current-action…
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