Ukuncipha kwesisindo kwe-CRISPR: Ikhambi lofuzo lokukhuluphala

• About the Author:
• Igama lomlobi

  I-Quantumrun Foresight
• Mashi 22, 2022

Isifinyezo sokuqonda

Izindlela zokwelapha ezisekelwe ku-CRISPR zokwehlisa isisindo seziseduze, ziguqula amangqamuzana amafutha amhlophe “amabi” abe amangqamuzana amafutha ansundu “amahle” ukusiza iziguli zehlise isisindo, ngokusetshenziswa okungenzeka ekulawuleni isifo sikashukela. Ucwaningo oluvela emanyuvesi ahlukahlukene lubonise ukuthi kungenzeka ukusebenzisa ubuchwepheshe be-CRISPR ukuze kutholwe ukwehla kwesisindo kumamodeli amagundane, futhi abahlaziyi babikezela ukuthi izindlela zokwelapha zabantu zingase zifinyeleleke maphakathi nawo-2030. Imithelela yesikhathi eside yalo mkhuba ihlanganisa ushintsho olungase lube khona ekwelapheni ukukhuluphala emhlabeni wonke, amathuba amasha okukhula emikhakheni ye-biotechnology kanye nokunakekelwa kwezempilo, kanye nesidingo sokulawula kukahulumeni ukuze kuqinisekiswe ukuphepha, izimiso zokuziphatha, kanye nokufinyeleleka.

CRISPR kwesisindo umongo 

Amaseli amafutha amhlophe ajwayele ukubizwa ngokuthi ama-fat cells "amabi" ngoba agcina amandla ezindaweni ezifana nesisu. Ku-CRISPR ehlongozwayo (ehlanganiswe ngokuphindaphindiwe okuphindaphindiwe kwe-palindromic emfushane) -esekelwe ekunciphiseni isisindo, lawa maseli akhishwa futhi ahlelwe kusetshenziswa indlela ekhethekile esekelwe kubuchwepheshe be-CRISPR obuguqula lawa maseli abe amangqamuzana amafutha ansundu noma amahle, okusiza iziguli ukuba zilahlekelwe isisindo. 

Abaphenyi abavela eJoslin Diabetes Center eBoston, phakathi kwabanye, bakhiphe umsebenzi wobufakazi bomqondo ngo-2020 ongasiza ukwenza izindlela zokwelapha ezisuselwa ku-CRISPR zibe ngokoqobo. Ngesikhathi sokuhlolwa okuqhubekayo, ukwelashwa okusekelwe ku-CRISPR kwasetshenziswa ukushintsha amangqamuzana amafutha amhlophe omuntu ukuze aziphathe njengamaseli amafutha ansundu. Nakuba lokhu kungenelela kungase kungaholeli ekuhlukeni okuphawulekayo kwesisindo somzimba, kunezinguquko eziphawulekayo ku-glucose homeostasis, kusukela kumaphesenti angu-5 kuya kwangu-10, okubalulekile ekulawuleni isifo sikashukela. Ngenxa yalokho, ukugxila ocwaningweni lokukhuluphala kancane kancane kuphendukela ekwelashweni kwamaseli nezakhi zofuzo.

Abacwaningi abavela eNyuvesi yaseCalifornia basebenzisa i-CRISPR ukukhulisa ukusutha kwezakhi zofuzo ze-SIM1 ne-MC4R kumamodeli amagundane akhuluphele. EYunivesithi yaseHanyang eSeoul, abacwaningi bavimbele isakhi sofuzo esidala ukukhuluphala kwe-FABP4 esicutshini esimhlophe se-adipose sisebenzisa indlela yokuphazamiseka ye-CRISPR, okuholela ekutheni amagundane alahlekelwe ngamaphesenti angu-20 esisindo sawo sokuqala. Ngaphezu kwalokho, ngokusho kwabacwaningi baseHarvard, amaseli angu-HUMBLE (afana namafutha ansundu) angase enze izicubu ze-adipose ezikhona ezinsundu emzimbeni ngokwandisa amazinga ekhemikhali ye-nitric oxide, engalawula ukugaywa kwamandla kanye nokwakheka komzimba. Lokhu okutholakele kufakazela ukuthi kungenzeka ukusebenzisa i-CRISPR-Cas9 ukuheha izici ezinjengamafutha ansundu kunqwaba yamafutha amhlophe esiguli.

Umthelela ophazamisayo

Ukufinyeleleka kwezindlela zokwelapha zokukhuluphala ezisekelwe ku-CRISPR maphakathi nawo-2030 kungase kunikeze inketho entsha yokulahlekelwa isisindo, ikakhulukazi kulabo abathola izindlela zendabuko zingasebenzi. Nokho, izindleko eziphakeme zokuqala zalezi zindlela zokwelapha zingase zilinganisele ukutholakala kwazo kuphela kulezo ezinezidingo ezinzima nezisheshayo zokwehlisa isisindo. Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi, njengoba ubuchwepheshe buya ngcono kakhulu futhi nezindleko zehla, bungase bube yisixazululo esitholakala kabanzi, esingase siguqule indlela okuphathwa ngayo ukukhuluphala emhlabeni wonke.

Ezinkampanini, ikakhulukazi lezo ezisemikhakheni ye-biotechnology kanye nokunakekelwa kwezempilo, ukuthuthukiswa kwalezi zindlela zokwelapha kungase kuvule izimakethe ezintsha namathuba okukhula. Ukwanda kwentshisekelo ocwaningweni olufanayo kungaholela ekuxhasweni okwengeziwe nokusebenzisana phakathi kwababambe iqhaza abahlukahlukene, okuhlanganisa izikhungo zocwaningo, izinkampani ezithaka imithi kanye nabahlinzeki bezempilo. Lo mkhuba ungase futhi uqhubekisele phambili ukuncintisana, okuholela ekuthuthukisweni kwezindlela zokwelapha ezisebenza kahle nezingabizi kakhulu, ezingazuzisa uhla olubanzi lweziguli.

Ohulumeni bangase badinge ukubamba iqhaza elibalulekile ekulawuleni nasekusekeleni ukuthuthukiswa nokuqaliswa kwezindlela zokwelapha zokukhuluphala ezisekelwe ku-CRISPR. Ukuqinisekisa ukuphepha, ukucatshangelwa kwezimiso zokuziphatha, kanye nokufinyeleleka kuzoba yizinselele ezibalulekile okudingeka zibhekwe. Ohulumeni bangase futhi badinge ukutshala izimali emikhankasweni yezemfundo kanye nokuqwashisa umphakathi ukuze basize abantu baqonde izinzuzo ezingaba khona kanye nezingozi zale ndlela entsha yokuncipha kwesisindo. 

Imithelela yezindlela zokwelapha zokulahlekelwa isisindo ze-CRISPR

Imithelela ebanzi yezindlela zokwelapha zokulahlekelwa isisindo ze-CRISPR zingabandakanya:

• Ukusiza ekunciphiseni inani laminyaka yonke lokufa emhlabeni wonke okuhlobene nezinkinga zezokwelapha ngenxa yokukhuluphala, okuholela kubantu abanempilo futhi okungenzeka kunciphise izindleko zokunakekelwa kwezempilo ezihlobene nezifo ezihlobene nokukhuluphala.
• Ukwandisa ukutshalwa kwezimali ezinhlelweni ezengeziwe zocwaningo ezisekelwe ku-CRISPR ezingase zikhiqize izithuthukisi eziningi empilweni yabantu, kusukela ekunqandeni ukuguga kuya ekwelapheni umdlavuza, okuholela ekuxazululeni okubanzi kwezixazululo zezokwelapha.
• Ukweseka ukukhula kwemitholampilo yezimonyo ngokubanikeza indlela yokuqala ukuhlinzeka ngokungenelela kobuhle okusekelwe kufuzo, ngaphezu kokuhlinzwa kwabo okujwayelekile kanye neminikelo yabo yokujova, okuholela ekuhlukeni embonini yobuhle.
• Ukuncishiswa kokuthembela emikhiqizweni yemithi yokwehlisa isisindo, okuholela ekushintsheni ekugxilweni kwemboni yezemithi kanye nemifudlana yemali engenayo.
• Ohulumeni abasebenzisa imithethonqubo kanye nemihlahlandlela yokuziphatha yezindlela zokwelapha ezisekelwe ku-CRISPR, okuholela emikhubeni emisiwe kanye nokuqinisekisa ukuphepha kwesiguli nokufinyeleleka.
• Ukwehliswa okungaba khona kwesidingo sokuhlinzwa kokunciphisa isisindo okuhlaselayo, okuholela ezinguqukweni zezinqubo zokuhlinza futhi ngokunokwenzeka kwehliswe izingozi ezihlobene nezinqubo ezinjalo.
• Ukushintsha emibonweni yomphakathi kanye nezinkambiso zomphakathi mayelana nokuncipha kwesisindo kanye nesithombe somzimba, okuholela ekwamukelweni okwengeziwe kokungenelela kofuzo njengendlela esebenzayo yempilo yomuntu siqu kanye nokuphila kahle.
• Ukwakhiwa kwamathuba amasha emisebenzi ku-biotechnology, ukwelulekwa ngezakhi zofuzo, nokunakekelwa kwezokwelapha okukhethekile, okuholela ekukhuleni kule mikhakha futhi kudinga izinhlelo ezintsha zemfundo nezitifiketi.
• Ukwehluka kwezomnotho ekufinyeleleni kwezindlela zokwelapha zokukhuluphala ezisekelwe ku-CRISPR, okuholela ekungalinganini okungenzeka ekunakekelweni kwezempilo, futhi kudinga ukungenelela kwenqubomgomo ukuze kuqinisekiswe ukuthi lezi zindlela zokwelapha zifinyeleleka kuwo wonke amaqembu ezenhlalo nezomnotho.

Imibuzo okufanele icatshangelwe

• Ingabe uyawusekela umqondo wokulahlekelwa kwamafutha okuthuthukisiwe ngokwezokwelapha?
• Ingabe ukholelwa ukuthi lokhu kwelashwa kwe-CRISPR kwesisindo sokulahlekelwa isisindo kuzoba inketho esebenzayo yokuhweba ngaphakathi kwemakethe yokuncintisana yokulahlekelwa isisindo?