Significance of Genome editing: Download PDF

Genome editing is of great interest in the prevention and treatment of human diseases. Currently, most research on genome editing is done to understand diseases using cells and animal models. Scientists are still working to determine whether this approach is safe and effective for use in people. Its significance can be known from the following points:

• Identification: It is being explored in research on a wide variety of diseases, including single-gene disorders such as cystic fibrosis, haemophilia, and sickle cell disease.
• Treating complex diseases: It also holds promise for the treatment and prevention of more complex diseases, such as cancer, heart disease, mental illness, and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection.
• Treating disorder: India has a large burden of genetic disorders and unmet medical needs and gene therapy can prove to be a turning point in the treatment of such disorders. 
• Crops and Livestock: The technique of genome editing can also be used for increasing yield, introducing resistance to disease and pests, tolerance of different environmental conditions.
• Industrial Biotechnology: It can be used for developing ‘third generation’ biofuels and producing chemicals, materials, and pharmaceuticals. 
• Biomedicine: Genome editing is also beneficial for pharmaceutical development, xenotransplantation, gene and cell-based therapies, control of insect-borne diseases. 
• Reproduction: It helps in preventing the inheritance of a disease trait.