3 ms·

When can we use CRISPR to address the mutation with the L-gulono-γ-lactone oxidase gene (GLO; EC number 1.1.3.8) which controls the synthesize l-ascorbic acid (

When can we use CRISPR to address the mutation with the L-gulono-γ-lactone oxidase gene (GLO; EC number 1.1.3.8) which controls the synthesize l-ascorbic acid (vitamin C) in humans? Is it possible with CRISPR? Can it be introduced in a person and have it reverse the mutation? Fixing this mutation might have the biggest impact on global human health, in humans the GLO mutation only impact the synthesis of vitamin C, unlike in other animals like primates, bats, guinea pigs and fish the mutation can't be reversed because it impacts other systems.

dekhn 6y ago
Is there a specific disease you're targeting, or are you trying to give general humans abilities they don't already have? The latter is not being considered at this point.
- est31 6y ago
  It's both. No human has the ability to synthesize vitamin C in their own bodies, leading to scurvy, unless you supplement vitamin C in your diet. Most people eat enough vitamin C to not lead to scurvy. There is a disease that would be eliminated, but it's preventable by watching out what you eat. Also, usually it takes more than just the synthesis of the enzyme. It also needs to be regulated, which requires the systems that regulate it to be around as well (and work correctly). Neither producing too much of the enzyme, nor too little is a good outcome. So yeah, I think it's better to focus on other diseases first, that are more serious and where a human carrier of the healthy variant of the gene already walks among us, here on earth.
  - dekhn 6y ago
    I don't think this makes sense since the risk of attempting to add a phenotype greatly outweighs the low cost of just taking vitamin C. Even just producing the right amount of enzyme is a first-order approximation to what actually has to be done to add a phenotype without side effects.
  - pvaldes 6y ago
    > No human has the ability to synthesize vitamin C in their own bodies, leading to scurvy, unless you supplement vitamin C in your diet. This is a disease that would be eliminated We could fall in the opposite situation easily, excess of vitamin C (from our body plus the same amount as before in the diet), leading to a scenery of nausea, vomit, headache and diarrhea, maybe permanent.

dekhn 6y ago

Is there a specific disease you're targeting, or are you trying to give general humans abilities they don't already have? The latter is not being considered at this point.

est31 6y ago
It's both. No human has the ability to synthesize vitamin C in their own bodies, leading to scurvy, unless you supplement vitamin C in your diet. Most people eat enough vitamin C to not lead to scurvy. There is a disease that would be eliminated, but it's preventable by watching out what you eat. Also, usually it takes more than just the synthesis of the enzyme. It also needs to be regulated, which requires the systems that regulate it to be around as well (and work correctly). Neither producing too much of the enzyme, nor too little is a good outcome. So yeah, I think it's better to focus on other diseases first, that are more serious and where a human carrier of the healthy variant of the gene already walks among us, here on earth.
- dekhn 6y ago
  I don't think this makes sense since the risk of attempting to add a phenotype greatly outweighs the low cost of just taking vitamin C. Even just producing the right amount of enzyme is a first-order approximation to what actually has to be done to add a phenotype without side effects.
- pvaldes 6y ago
  > No human has the ability to synthesize vitamin C in their own bodies, leading to scurvy, unless you supplement vitamin C in your diet. This is a disease that would be eliminated We could fall in the opposite situation easily, excess of vitamin C (from our body plus the same amount as before in the diet), leading to a scenery of nausea, vomit, headache and diarrhea, maybe permanent.