• umbrella@lemmy.ml
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    1 day ago

    there are clinical trials for gene therapy right now.

    i can see arguing that it isnt close, because it doesnt look close, but id bet it will come in decades rather than centuries.

    • medgremlin
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      1 day ago

      Gene therapy is not the same thing as CRISPR. CRISPR is modifying the genome before the organism makes it past 1 cell.

      • umbrella@lemmy.ml
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        20 hours ago

        thats not true. crispr gene therapy was just approved by the fda for sickle cell syndrome. the methods ability to change dna on living organisms is why its a big deal in the first place.

        one can easily look this up.

        • medgremlin
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          11 hours ago

          While that gene therapy does exist, it is not the same as what is being done here. The offspring of these mosquitos will have this same modified gene. The offspring of the recipients of the Sickle Cell gene therapy will not have the modified gene. We have the ability to alter a single human for their lifespan, but we do not have the ability to alter a human in such a way that their offspring will carry the same modification.