Could Down syndrome be eliminated?
Scientists say cutting-edge gene editing tool could cut out extra chromosome

This article title from the New York Post snagged my attention, and, with a sinking heart, I began to read it. I assumed that it would report that Japan had pulled an Iceland by aborting babies diagnosed with Down Syndrome in the womb, but in fact, they have been developing a way to “erase” the extra copy of chromosome 21.

According to the article, a new gene-editing technique using CRISPR/Cas9 developed by Japanese scientists from Mie University shows promise. The technique “eliminates” Down Syndrome by snipping the DNA strands containing the extra copy of chromosome 21. This method has not been tested on an individual with Down Syndrome, but it has successfully normalized gene expression and improved cell function in lab-grown cells and skin samples taken from individuals with Down Syndrome.

In other words…

Researchers are going into human DNA & REMOVING part of what makes someone a unique individual.

On January 29th, 2020, my youngest brother was born. Minutes later, he was diagnosed with Down Syndrome. My baby sibling, a warm bundle of red, squishy, blinking wonder, had Down Syndrome. I stared at the new life in my arms and slowly processed the fact that, as fragile as every newborn is, this one was even more so.

Through this little boy’s arrival, my entire life changed forever, and it changed for the better because of one extra chromosome. But because of his genetic makeup, he has also faced numerous medical challenges due to that extra chromosome. My family would be first in line to responsibly ease pain and suffering for him, but I am very conflicted about this new scientific development. Is removing an extra chromosome taking dominion of creation, as God instructs us in Genesis 1, or is this man playing God & destroying what God calls good?

Would I have an entirely different brother if a key piece of what makes him, him, was eliminated?

Now, research is still being conducted to see how altering DNA would affect an individual, but what are your thoughts? Is this an ethical way to take dominion? Or is it the first steps to crafting gene editing for “designer babies”?

Read more from the ProLife Doc:

The Ethics of CRISPR and Genetic Editing in Human Embryos