Table 1.

Risk/Benefit Considerations in CRISPR Technology

	Benefit(s)	Risk(s)/Harm(s)
Basic and pre-clinical research	new model organisms and cell lines increased gene-editing efficiency high throughput screens novel drug targets access to totipotent cells identification of novel signaling, regulatory, and developmental pathways development of novel gene-editing approaches (base editing and RNA targeting) knowledge advancement	experimentation involving human embryos is controversial and illegal in some countries potential for privacy and confidentiality breaches
Translational and clinical medicine	immunotherapy organoids novel drug targets artificial intelligence modification of pathological genes novel therapeutics and fertility applications procreative liberty ability to “fix” single base changes knowledge advancement potential for equitable access	serious injury, disability, and/or death to research participant(s) and/or offspring blurry distinction between therapeutic and enhancement applications, leading to potential subtle or obvious exacerbation of inequalities misapplications eugenics potential for inequitable access and exacerbation of inequalities
Non-therapeuticapplications	enhancement to augment select faulty or human characteristics fortification of crops and livestock successful control of pests, invasive species, and reservoirs (gene drives) disease/infection control (e.g., malaria, dengue fever, Lyme and Chagas disease, schistosomiasis) ecosystem alteration to protect endangered species (gene drives) safety crop cultivation knowledge advancement	eugenics exacerbation of racism and inequality theoretical risk for damage to ecosystems theoretical risk of misuse
Access to CRISPRtechnology	inexpensive (technology itself) widely available profit, economic growth innovation	price gouging prohibitively expensive applications
Regulations for clinicalresearch involvinghuman subjects	established framework in some countries to manage research risk legal mechanisms for redress already exist, depending on location	lack of appropriate supervisory infrastructure, oversight, and/or regulatory framework in many nations unclear how to supervise the research even in some countries with regulatory oversight over regulation might hinder progress
National andinternationalregulations, law, andpolicy	prevention against misuses of technology safeguard against potential unethical conditions	potential to encroach on societal autonomy limit discovery and progress difficult enforcement lack of uniformity