Ukwelashwa kofuzo lokuzwa: Impumelelo engalapha ubuthulu

• About the Author:
• Igama lomlobi

  I-Quantumrun Foresight
• June 16, 2022

Isifinyezo sokuqonda

Ukuhlela izakhi zofuzo, ikakhulukazi ngobuchwepheshe be-CRISPR, kuveza indlela engaba khona yokubhekana nezimo zezempilo, okuhlanganisa nokungezwa kahle, kodwa kunyathela umugqa obucayi ngokwemibandela yokuziphatha ikakhulukazi uma isetshenziswa emibungu yabantu. Ubuchwepheshe bungase bushintshe ukulandisa kumakhono abantu 'avamile' futhi bubeke izinkinga zokuziphatha ekwelapheni ukukhubazeka okungabeki impilo engcupheni njengokungezwa. Njengoba isimo sezokwelapha sijwayelana nentuthuko enjalo, izingxoxo phakathi kohulumeni, abahlinzeki bezempilo, kanye nomphakathi kungase kudingeke ukuthi kuguquke ukuze kuqinisekiswe ukuthi imingcele yokuziphatha iyahlonishwa kuyilapho kuhlolwa izinzuzo ezingaba khona zobuchwepheshe bokuhlela izakhi.

Ukuzwa umongo wokwelashwa kofuzo

Kusukela kwethulwa ubuchwepheshe be-CRISPR ekuqaleni kwawo-2000, ukuhlela izakhi zofuzo sekuye kwafinyeleleka kakhulu, kufinyeleleke, futhi okubaluleke kakhulu, kuphumelela ekubhekaneni nezimo ezihlukahlukene zezempilo. Kodwa-ke, njengoba lokhu okusha kuqhubeka nokuthuthuka, abanye odokotela nososayensi sebeqala ukubuza ukuthi ngabe ukuhlela izakhi zofuzo kuvunyelwe ukususa ukukhubazeka okungokwemvelo njengokungezwa? Ngo-2020, isazi sebhayoloji saseRussia uDenis Rebrekov wamemezela ukuthi uzosebenzisa ubuchwepheshe be-CRISPR ukuhlela imibungu yabantu eqinisekisiwe ukuthi izothola ufuzo oluhlobene nokungezwa kubazali babo. URebrekov uthe ngaleso sikhathi imibhangqwana emihlanu yayisivele ivumile ukufaka imibungu yazo ekwelapheni izakhi zofuzo zokuzwa. 

I-CRISPR ubuchwepheshe bokuhlela izakhi zofuzo obusebenzisa i-enzayimu ebizwa ngokuthi i-Cas9, esebenza njengesikelo, inqamula i-DNA engafuneki ngokulandelana kwe-genome. Ucezu lwe-RNA olubizwa ngokuthi i-guide RNA (gRNA) bese luyakhululwa ukuze luqondise i-Cas9 kugenome efanele. Ukusetshenziswa kwe-CRISPR kumaseli okuzala kunempikiswano enkulu ngoba noma yikuphi ukuhlelwa kofuzo kungadluliselwa ngezizukulwane. Abanye ababambiqhaza bemboni, ochwepheshe bezokwelapha, kanye nezazi zefilosofi baye baphinde babuza umbuzo ukuthi uma ukukhubazeka okungabeke engozini impilo njengokungezwa kufanele “kwelapheke” kwasekuqaleni ngenxa yokucatshangelwa kokuziphatha.  

Ukuhlolwa komtholampilo kokwelashwa kofuzo okuhlobene nokuzwa kumagundane bekuthembisa. Ocwaningweni olwenziwa ososayensi base-Harvard Medical School kanye nase-Tel-Aviv University, kwasetshenziswa igciwane ukuze kukhishwe ulwazi oluguquliwe (ikakhulukazi, ikhophi enempilo ye-TMC1, isakhi sofuzo esivame ukuba yimbangela yokungezwa uma iguqulwa) endlebeni yangaphakathi. wamagundane angezwa kahle. Amagundane abonise ukuzwa okuthuthukisiwe phakathi nezinyanga eziyisithupha ezizayo (cishe kanye namagundane angewona izithulu). 

Umthelela ophazamisayo

Uma kuziwa ekuhleleni izakhi zofuzo, ikakhulukazi kumongo wemibungu yabantu, kunezinhlobonhlobo zemithelela yezimiso zokuziphatha, zokuziphatha, kanye nezisebenzayo ezitholakalayo. Izizwe zingase zizithole sezidweba imingcele mayelana nokusetshenziswa kwalobu buchwepheshe, zibeke umkhawulo ekusebenzeni kwazo ezimweni ezinzima zezokwelapha lapho kungekho okunye ukwelashwa okutholakalayo. Lesi yisinyathelo sokuvimbela ukunyukela esimeni lapho ukuhlela kwezakhi zofuzo kusetshenziselwa izithuthukisi ezingezona ezokwelashwa, okuholela ekudalweni kwalokho okubizwa ngokuthi "izingane zomklami" lapho izici zofuzo zikhethwa noma zishintshelwa ubuhle noma amakhono athuthukisiwe.

Umqondo wokuhlela izakhi zofuzo ukulungisa izimo ezihlobene nokuzwa wethula ukuphambana okuyingqayizivele kwesayensi yezokwelapha kanye nezimiso zokuziphatha. Uma izindlela zokwelapha ezigxile kubuchwepheshe be-CRISPR zisebenza futhi zifinyeleleke, zingashintsha kakhulu isimo sezimboni ezigxile ocwaningweni oluhlobene nokuzwa kanye nokwelashwa. Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi, njengoba izixazululo zokuhlela izakhi zofuzo zanda kakhulu, izindlela zendabuko zokwelapha izimo zokuzwa zingase zingasavamile ukuvama, okuholela ekuncipheni kwalezi zimboni zibe izindawo ezikhethekile. Lolu shintsho lungaqondisa kabusha izinsiza kanye nokutshalwa kwezimali ekuthuthukiseni nasekucwengiseni izindlela zokuhlela izakhi zofuzo ngokuqhubekayo, okungase kulethe amathuba amasha okubhekana nohlu olubanzi lwezinye izimo zezokwelapha.

Ngesilinganiso esibanzi, ukwamukelwa nokuhlanganiswa kobuchwepheshe bokuhlela izakhi zofuzo njenge-CRISPR ezinhlelweni zokunakekelwa kwezempilo kungashintsha imibono yomphakathi kanye namazinga azungeze amakhono emvelo omuntu kanye nemingcele yokuziphatha yesayensi yezokwelapha. Ukulandisa kwalokho okuhlanganisa umuntu 'ovamile' noma 'onempilo enhle' kungase kuhlolwe kabusha okukhulu, kube nomthelela ezinhlakeni zomthetho, zesimilo, nezenhlalo. Ohulumeni, abahlinzeki bezokunakekelwa kwempilo, kanye nomphakathi kungase kudingeke bahlanganyele ezingxoxweni eziphelele ukuze bazulazule esimweni sokuziphatha esiyinkimbinkimbi esivezwa ukuhlelwa kwezakhi zofuzo, kuqinisekiswe indlela elinganiselayo eyenza izinzuzo zibe ziningi kuyilapho kunciphisa ukulimala okungaba khona. 

Imithelela yobuchwepheshe be-CRISPR isetshenziswa ekulimaleni kwezindlebe

Imithelela ebanzi yokusebenzisa izindlela zokwelapha ze-CRISPR ukwelapha ukuzwa kweziguli ingabandakanya:

• Ohulumeni benza izimiso ezijwayelekile zokuthi imithi yofuzo ingasetshenziswa nini, ikakhulukazi uma isetshenziswa ngaphambi kokuzalwa.
• Ingcindezi yomphakathi enkulu kohulumeni ukuthi bamboze ngokugcwele ukwelashwa okwelapha izinhlobo ezahlukene zokungezwa kahle.
• Izinkampani ezisezimbonini zokuzijabulisa ezibukhoma nezokwakha (phakathi kwezinye) ziya ngokuya zibandakanya izindlela zokwelapha zokuzwa ezinhlelweni zazo zezempilo zabasebenzi.
• Izinhlangano zezishoshovu ezivelayo ezingase zifune ukwenza ukufinyelela kubuchwepheshe bokuhlela izakhi kube ilungelo lomhlaba wonke ngenxa yezinzuzo ezingaba khona emphakathini.
• Abantu abanokukhubazeka kokuzwa bakhetha ukuthola ukwelashwa kofuzo esikhundleni semisebenzi ehlaselayo efana nezimila ze-cochlear. (Kungenjalo, amanye amalungu omphakathi wezithulu angase amelane nalezi zindlela ezintsha ukuze kugcinwe imikhuba yamasiko emisiwe evuna ukungezwa.)
• Ukuthuthukiswa kwezinga labantu emkhiqizweni wezomnotho njengoba abantu abambalwa behlushwa ukungezwa kancane kuya kokuphelele.

Imibuzo okufanele icatshangelwe

• Uma unikezwa inketho yokusebenzisa ukwelashwa kokuzwa okusekelwe ku-CRISPR, ungayisebenzisa? 
• Yiziphi izimboni noma ubungcweti obungazuza kakhulu kubasebenzi bazo ekutholeni amanoveli nokwelapha okusebenzayo kokuzwa?