Medicine's big breakthrough : editing your genes.

This Panorama Special looks at new advances in DNA editing, which has revolutionised research into genetic and infectious diseases, and cancer. To begin, Reporter Fergus Walsh visits Biochemist Professor Jennifer Doudna, one of the co-discoverers of Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR). Professor George Church discusses the potential for using CRISPR for gene editing. Walsh introduces Immunologist Dr Chris Burlak, and his 10-year-old son Jack, who has Type-1 Diabetes. Burlak exhibits his research into cloned pig cells using CRISPR technology as a way to cure genetically contracted Diabetes. Walsh and Dr Pablo Ross explain the role of gene editing in cross-species transplantation, exhibiting an experiment involving a pig embryo. Walsh talks about the ethical concerns of using animals in this way. Dr Jacob Lalezari discusses the development of the HIV/AIDS epidemic within gay communities in San Francisco. Matt Chappell, a patient of Lalezari, is introduced, who is a participant on one of the world’s first gene editing trials for HIV/AIDS. Chappell and two fellow survivors of the AIDS epidemic in San Francisco, Matt Sharp and Jeff Sheehy discuss their feelings being at the forefront of HIV/AIDS genetic research. Dr Fyodor Urnov discusses the potential for developing gene-based vaccines for diseases such as Hemophilia. Dr Tony Nolan explains gene drive research into the eradication of Malaria-carrying mosquitos. Professor Alison van Eenennaam explains the genetic development of hornless cattle. Biohacker Josiah Zayner exhibits his commercial CRISPR DNA editing laboratory. Walsh and Zayner discuss the democratisation of science, and conduct a DIY DNA experiment. Dr Kathy Niakan explains her research into gene editing using 1-day old embryos. Marcy Darnovsky discusses the ethical issues surrounding developing genetically modified embryos. To conclude, Doudna discusses the importance of embracing the search for cures for genetic diseases, and the future of research into this area.