Bericht von Critical Scientists Switzerland, dem Europäischen Netzwerk von Wissenschaftlern für soziale und ökologische Verantwortung und der Vereinigung Deutscher Wissenschaftler, 24.5.2019 (engl. Originalfassung)
Engineered gene drives are a new form of genet-ic modification that provides the tools for perma-nently modifying or potentially even eradicating species or populations in the wild. This is done by modifications of genetic material that interfere with evolutionary mechanisms and inheritance patterns. This is the first time humans have been able to create this type of radical genetic change.
Ethical governance of gene drives should not just openly and inclusively consider gene drives themselves but should also consider the range of alternative ways of formulating and framing the problems that the technology is claimed to address. These alternative framings of the prob-lems (e.g. disease control, invasive species con-trol) will encourage discussion of a range of al-ternative approaches to solving them. Many of these alternatives may carry fewer risks, may be more actionable in the short-term, more sen-sitive to local needs and resources and/or may better align with a diverse range of worldviews.
Because spread and persistence in nature (in other words, invasiveness) are the raison d’être of gene drive organisms (GDOs), they carry an extra level of risk in addition to the one they al-ready have as genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Despite all the new genetic knowledge gained, we can still say very little about what will happen with gene drives in actual real-life settings, with completely different surrounding conditions, high genetic variation in wild popula-tions and myriad interactions with other species and complexities. The behaviour of gene drives and GDOs in the real world may be very different from any laboratory experiments and modelled predictions.
Den vollständigen Bericht finden Sie hier.