Amandla angaphezu kwavamile e-CRISPR: Ingabe ekugcineni kungenzeka ukuphelela nokuziphatha okuhle?

• About the Author:
• Igama lomlobi

  I-Quantumrun Foresight
• January 2, 2023

Isifinyezo sokuqonda

Ukwenziwa kabusha kwe-CRISPR-Cas9 ngo-2014 ukuze kuqondiswe ngokunembile futhi "kulungise" noma ukuhlela ukulandelana kwe-DNA ethile kwaguqula inkambu yokuhlela izakhi zofuzo. Kodwa-ke, le ntuthuko iphinde yaphakamisa imibuzo mayelana nokuziphatha nezimiso zokuziphatha nokuthi abantu kufanele bahambe ibanga elingakanani lapho behlela izakhi zofuzo.

CRISPR umongo ongaphezu komuntu

I-CRISPR iyiqembu lokulandelana kwe-DNA elitholakala kubhaktheriya elibenza bakwazi "ukunqamula" amagciwane abulalayo angena ezinhlelweni zawo. Ihlanganiswe ne-enzyme ebizwa ngokuthi i-Cas9, i-CRISPR isetshenziswa njengesiqondiso sokukhomba imicu ethile ye-DNA ukuze isuswe. Uma sekutholakele, ososayensi basebenzise i-CRISPR ukuhlela izakhi zofuzo ukuze basuse ukukhubazeka kokuzalwa okusongela ukuphila okufana nesifo se-sickle cell. Kusukela ngo-2015, iChina yayisivele ihlela iziguli ezinomdlavuza ngofuzo ngokususa amaseli, iwaguqule nge-CRISPR, futhi iwabuyisele emzimbeni ukuze alwe nomdlavuza. 

Ngo-2018, i-China yayisihlele ngofuzo abantu abangaphezu kuka-80 ngenkathi i-United States ilungiselela ukuqala izifundo zayo zokuqala zokushayela i-CRISPR. Ngo-2019, isazi se-biophysicist saseShayina u-He Jianku wamemezela ukuthi usungule iziguli zokuqala “ezimelana ne-HIV,” okungamantombazane angamawele, okwasusa inkulumo-mpikiswano yokuthi kufanele kudonswe kuphi imingcele emkhakheni wokukhohlisa izakhi zofuzo.

Umthelela ophazamisayo

Ososayensi abaningi kubikwa ukuthi bacabanga ukuthi ukuhlela izakhi zofuzo kufanele kusetshenziswe kuphela ezinqubweni ezingazuzisiyo ezibalulekile, njengokwelapha izifo ezikhona. Kodwa-ke, ukuhlela izakhi zofuzo kungase kuhole noma kukwenze kube nokwenzeka ukudala amandla angaphezu kwavamile ngokushintsha izakhi zofuzo ngokushesha nje kwesigaba sombungu. Abanye ochwepheshe baphikisa ngokuthi izinselele ezingokomzimba nezingokwengqondo ezinjengokungezwa, ubumpumputhe, i-autism, nokucindezeleka ngokuvamile ziye zakhuthaza ukukhula komlingiswa, uzwela, ngisho nohlobo oluthile lobuhlakani bokudala. Akwaziwa ukuthi bekuzokwenzekani emphakathini uma izakhi zofuzo zomntwana ngamunye zingapheleliswa futhi zonke “ukungapheleli” zisuswe ngaphambi kokuzalwa kwayo. 

Izindleko eziphezulu zokuhlela izakhi zofuzo zingase zikwenze kufinyeleleke kwabacebile esikhathini esizayo, abangase bazibandakanye ekuhleleni izakhi zofuzo ukuze bakhe izingane “eziphelele kakhulu”. Lezi zingane, ezingase zibe zinde noma zibe nama-IQ aphakeme, zingamelela isigaba esisha senhlalo, esiqhubeka sihlukanisa umphakathi ngenxa yokungalingani. Ezemidlalo eziqhudelanayo zingashicilela imithetho ngokuzayo ekhawulela imiqhudelwano kubasubathi “abazalelwe ngokwemvelo” kuphela noma idale imiqhudelwano emisha yabasubathi abakhiwe ngofuzo. Izifo ezithile zofuzo zingase zelashwe ngokwandayo ngaphambi kokuzalwa, kwehlise umthwalo wezindleko ezinhlelweni zokunakekelwa kwezempilo zikahulumeni nezizimele. 

Imithelela ye-CRISPR isetshenziselwe ukudala “abantu abanamandla angaphezu kwavamile”

Imithelela ebanzi yobuchwepheshe be-CRISPR obusetshenziswa ukuhlela izakhi zofuzo ngaphambi nangemva kokuzalwa ingase ihlanganise:

• Imakethe ekhulayo yezingane zomklami nezinye "izithuthukisi" ezifana nama-exoskeletons wokukhubazeka nokufakwa kwe-chip yobuchopho ukuthuthukisa inkumbulo.
• Izindleko ezincishisiwe kanye nokukhuphuka kokusetshenziswa kokuhlolwa kombungu okuthuthukisiwe okungase kuvumele abazali ukuthi bakhiphe izisu ezitholakala zisengozini enkulu yesifo esibi kakhulu noma ukukhubazeka ngokwengqondo nangokomzimba. 
• Amazinga amasha omhlaba kanye nemithethonqubo yokunquma ukuthi i-CRISPR ingasetshenziswa kanjani futhi nini nokuthi ubani onganquma ukuthi izakhi zofuzo zomuntu zihlelwe.
• Ukuqeda izifo ezithile zofuzo ezivela kumachibi ofuzo omndeni, ngaleyo ndlela kunikeze abantu izinzuzo zokunakekelwa kwezempilo ezithuthukisiwe.
• Amazwe angena kancane kancane emqhudelwaneni wezikhali zofuzo maphakathi nekhulu, lapho ohulumeni bexhasa ngezimali izinhlelo zikazwelonke zokuthuthukiswa kofuzo ezinhlelweni zokuqinisekisa ukuthi izizukulwane ezizayo zizalwa ngendlela efanele. Ukuthi “okulungile” kusho ukuthini kuzonqunywa imikhuba yamasiko eguqukayo evela emashumini eminyaka ezayo, emazweni ahlukene.
• Inani labantu elingaba khona liyehla ezifweni ezingagwemeka kanye nokuncipha kancane kancane kwezindleko zokunakekelwa kwezempilo kuzwelonke.

Imibuzo okufanele icatshangelwe

• Ucabanga ukuthi imibungu kufanele yenziwe izakhi zofuzo ukuze kuvinjelwe izinhlobo ezithile zokukhubazeka?
• Ungavuma ukukhokhela izithuthukisi zofuzo?