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Its simple to do; there are billions sitting on the table. Somebody will do it, somewhere.


I think you overestimate the "simple to do" part in terms of actually implementing human therapies, but, in any case, crop and industrial bacteria applications are further along toward commercialization now (some of the former may actually already be commercialized), while human therapies may be among the eventual applications, its quite unlikely (and maybe already passed into "impossible") that they will be the first profitable applications.


But the point of this technique is, its dead simple. Identify a gene and cut it out. Or add one.


It is (compared to other available techniques, at least) dead simple to cut out or add genes, yes. Practical human therapies that rely on gene editing involve more than just gene editing (and to be viable, profitable commercial applications, they require a whole lot of regulatory steps -- trials, approvals, etc. -- once all the pieces of the process are put together.)


So it won't be invented in America. But it will be made somewhere, then sold on the internet.


If it's sold on the internet, it will be available for bitcoin only, and maybe only via the darkweb.


Currently there are too many off target effects to make it safe for use in humans: http://www.technologyreview.com/news/535846/industry-body-ca...


When has 'safe' had anything to do with cosmetics? From fad diets to surgery, folks will do anything to look good. This will get made (somewhere) and sold (everywhere).




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