CRISPR technology

By Praatah Gandhi

Over recent years, one of the most exciting scientific breakthroughs has come in the form of gene editing, specifically CRISPR. Currently, it has the potential to reshape our entire world, running from medicine to agriculture, and it has the power to change the future and fate of humanity. CRISPR was first introduced in 2012 and stands for Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats, a natural defence system that is found in bacteria. Scientists, through their hard work and many breakthroughs, have learned to repurpose this system to precisely edit DNA (the genetic code for all things living).

So, what exactly does CRISPR do? Imagine DNA as a long string of letters forming instructions for how your body grows and functions. Sometimes, there are typos in these instructions, known as genetic mutations, and these mutations could lead to serious illnesses such as sickle cell anemia, cystic fibrosis, Huntington’s disease, and many more. CRISPR acts like molecular scissors, enabling scientists to cut out faulty parts of DNA and, in some cases, replace them with corrected versions.

The benefits of CRISPR have been wide-ranging over recent years. For example, it has allowed the creation of drought-resistant crops or livestock that possess healthier traits. In medical uses, this technology has opened up the possibility for curing previously untreatable diseases at the genetic level. In fact, in 2023, the UK became the first country to approve a CRISPR-based treatment for sickle cell disease and β-thalassemia, two genetic blood disorders. The treatment, known as Casgevy, showed life-changing results in clinical trials—patients previously dependent on regular blood transfusions were able to live symptom-free.

This has naturally led to a big question: Could CRISPR completely eliminate genetic diseases in the future? The answer is… maybe, but not quite yet.

While the technology is powerful, it’s still in its early stages. Editing one gene in one person is already a complicated task, but trying to correct hundreds or thousands of mutations across a diverse population becomes a major challenge. Not all diseases are caused by a single mutation. Some are influenced by a mix of genetics, lifestyle, and environmental factors. In those cases, CRISPR may only be part of the solution.

There are also technical and ethical barriers. Editing genes in adults is one thing, but editing embryos, also known as germline editing, means changing the DNA of future generations. While this could eliminate inherited diseases before birth, it also raises serious concerns about “designer babies” and unintended consequences. In 2018, a Chinese scientist sparked global outrage after claiming to have edited the genes of twin babies, prompting calls for stricter international regulation.

Safety is another concern. While CRISPR is more precise than previous gene-editing tools, it’s not perfect. There’s a risk of off-target effects, where unintended parts of the DNA are edited, potentially causing new health issues. Researchers are working to make CRISPR more accurate and reliable, but widespread use will require long-term studies and careful oversight.

Despite the challenges, the momentum behind CRISPR is undeniable. Major biotech companies, such as CRISPR Therapeutics and Editas Medicine, are investing heavily in trials, and researchers worldwide are racing to unlock their full potential. As the technology continues to improve, it may one day become as routine as a vaccine or blood test.

For now, CRISPR represents a powerful step toward a future where genetic diseases are no longer life sentences. It won’t solve everything tomorrow, but it may eventually give us the tools to rewrite the human story, one gene at a time.

Edited by Lamisa Chowdhury

References

1. Office. (2024). FDA Approves First Gene Therapies to Treat Patients with Sickle Cell Disease. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-approves-first-gene-therapies-treat-patients-sickle-cell-disease
2. What is CRISPR? A bioengineer explains. (2024). Stanford.edu; Stanford University.

https://news.stanford.edu/stories/2024/06/stanford-explainer-crispr-gene-editing-and-beyond

3. Ledford, H. (2025). World’s first personalized CRISPR therapy given to baby with genetic disease. Nature. https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-025-01496-z
4. Normile, D. (2018). CRISPR bombshell: Chinese researcher claims to have created gene-edited twins. Science. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aaw1839