Becoming a Superhero 101: Gene Editing
“Hope, help, and compassion for all.”
Back in March, when the COVID-19 pandemic as we know it was just taking off, many people partook in art, gardening, and baking activities (bread was astoundingly popular). I, on the other hand, spent a large chunk of my free time binge-watching one of my favourite TV shows — The Flash.
The CW hit TV series centres around Barry Allen, a Central City police forensic scientist with a fairly stable life. When Barry is abruptly struck by lightning emitted by the S.T.A.R. Labs Particle Accelerator, he is gifted the ability to move at superhuman speed. Determined to correct a wrong from his past, he dedicates his life to protecting the people of Central City under his alias, The Flash.
Watching the show, I kept asking myself: Can superpowers exist outside of science fiction? In The Flash, as well as in the stories of many other well-known superheroes such as Spiderman, DNA mutation is a common explanation for supernatural powers. As recent years have seen huge leaps in our understanding of genetic engineering and the human genome, it is clear why many people cannot help but wonder the magnitude of which medical intervention can reach.
What is Gene Editing?
When transforming the average human being into a superhero, we must first understand how a person would gain supernatural abilities. In order to achieve this mutation, the genome must be edited.
Genome editing is a group of technologies used by scientists to alter the DNA of many organisms including animals, plants, and bacteria. What this means is that genetic material is either added, removed, or manipulated at distinct locations in the genome.
Changes that can be made using gene editing methods include physical traits, such as hair colour and eye colour, as well as disease risk levels.
CRISPR-Cas9
Although several approaches to gene editing have been developed, Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR)-Cas9 is a recent method that is currently being highlighted in active research in biology.
This method is based on a system used by bacteria in order to naturally protect themselves from viruses. When the presence of virus DNA is detected by a bacterium, two types of RNA are produced. One of these is known as a guide RNA — containing a sequence that matches that of the virus. Together, the two RNAs form a complex with a protein called Cas9 — a nuclease, meaning that it is a type of enzyme that can cut DNA. When the guide RNA finds its target in the viral genome, the Cas-9 accordingly cuts the DNA, thus impairing the virus.
In recent years, scientists have realized that this system can be engineered to precisely cut any DNA sequence by changing the guide RNA to match the target. Once inside the nucleus, the Cas-9 nuclease will grip on to the protospacer adjacent motif (PAM) and unzip the DNA. Then, this sequence will be matched to its target RNA. If this process is completed, molecular scissors will be used by the Cas-9 to cut the DNA, causing repair mechanisms to be enacted by the cell. Since these mechanisms are then highly prone to errors, mutations are created, resulting in disabilities in the gene. Although these mutations are random, researchers are working towards being more precise so that, for example, mutant genes can be replaced with healthy sequences. This would work by adding a piece of DNA with the desired sequence. Once the DNA has been cut, the new sequence can be combined with the cut ends, replacing the original sequence. This system can even be used for stem cells, allowing for the editing of many cell types. Unlike preceding techniques, CRISPR can target many genes at once. This serves as an advantage when dealing with diseases caused by many mutations acting together.
Becoming a Superhero
With reference to transforming into a superhero, let’s take a look at some of The Flash’s superpowers and see if genetic mutations could have caused them.
- Superhuman speed, stamina, reflexes, agility, and endurance
- Accelerated healing
- Phasing: the ability to vibrate molecules through solid objects
Genetic mutations giving rise to such complex abilities are difficult to believe — especially given the fact that it takes many genes to determine something as simple as eye colour. Regardless, that’s not to say that superpowers are impossible.
How to Gain Superhuman Agility
Super speed is The Flash’s most renowned talent, and a talent that many people would love to have. Can you imagine how quickly household chores would be finished? In the Federal Polytechnic School of Lausanne in Switzerland, researchers conducted a study where they removed the NCoR1 gene in mice, leading them to run twice their normal speed. The NCoR1 gene encodes a protein that suppresses muscle growth. As a result, when the gene was removed, the mice grew larger, denser muscles along with a greater number of mitochondria that allowed for their agility to increase.
With CRISPR’s ability of being able to target many genes at once, it’s possible that the technology could be used to replicate some of the talents of The Flash in the future.
Ethical Implications
Theoretically, human capabilities could be enhanced by gene therapy. Unfortunately, reality is more complicated than fiction. Assuming that genetically-engineered superheroes are possible, many ethical concerns are raised. The ethical questions surrounding genetically-engineered superheroes include:
- Will the high costs make the option available only to the wealthy? If so, will giving superpowers to the wealthy contribute to economic inequality?
- Is it ethical to use germline gene therapy to create superheroes? Or can this violate the consent of future generations?
- How would the widespread creation of genetically-engineered superheroes impact the criminal justice system?
Yes, the concept of superheroes living among us does seem foreign now and there are many foreseeable challenges that accompany it. Even so, CRISPR technology is quickly advancing, meaning that the range of potential implementations is widening.
However, as advancements occur, what is there to stop geneticists from going full “mad-scientist”? How do we distinguish “good” and “bad” uses of gene therapy? Perhaps the question scientists ask themselves should shift from could we do that? to should we do that?
