A recent study published in Nature Genetics reveals alarming risks with CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing technology. These "gene scissors," designed to precisely cut and modify DNA, often cause unintended and potentially dangerous genetic changes, which can increase cancer risk in humans and animals and disrupt the genetic stability of plants, affecting agriculture. Despite being hailed as a groundbreaking tool, CRISPR/Cas9's unexpected mutations show it’s more hazardous than previously believed, raising serious concerns about its widespread use in science and medicine.

Regulators have previously claimed that any unintentional changes from CRISPR/Cas9 are similar to natural mutations. But this new study, published in May 2024, disproves that notion. The study shows that the changes caused by CRISPR/Cas9 can have serious health and environmental impacts, particularly in altering the food derived from edited plants and compromising their genetic stability.

CRISPR/Cas9 is a powerful to...