Soon, all of humanity will be customised in the same way to design the next generation. Gene editing may be in the very near future, and the science already exists. Genetic editing is no longer science fiction.
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Editing genetics could mean the beginning of personalised medicine, eventual eradication of hereditary disease or susceptibility to it, and it could also mean customised children.
Like building a plushie toy from scratch.
It’s a potential moral minefield, and psychologist and medical doctor Dr Jonathan Redelinghuys said the South Africans, and the world, may not be remotely prepared to contemplate such interventions.
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“Genetic alteration could widen existing divides, with wealthier families able to select desirable traits long before anyone has answers about unintended effects. A protective edit, such as CCR5, can leave a person vulnerable to other illnesses. We do not understand the knock-on impact.”
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“If only those with money can obtain it, we will create genetic classes in society. This would entrench the disparities we already have,” [added obstetrician and gynaecologist Dr Zanele Ngwenya].
