New Study Suggests CRISPR Gene Editing Might Alter DNA & Turn Cells Cancerous

Digital Trends reports that new research warns that the gene editing tool CRISPR might have unforeseen side effects, including the potential to alter DNA in a way that results in cells turning cancerous. In a recently published Nature paper, researchers from the Wellcome Sanger Institute observed that genomic damage was a “common outcome.” Michael Kosicki, a researcher at the Wellcome Sanger Institute, told Digital Trends that the research institute’s paper is a “call for more scrutiny and caution” when deploying CRISPR-Cas9 technologies in the future. He went on to say, "In some cases, this additional risk may be worth the potential benefit; in some, it will not. More knowledge will make regulators’ choices more informed.”