Gene editing: a new issue for bioethics?

Controlled genome mutations are made possible through several techniques since the ’70s. Zinc finger nucleases, TALE nucleases and above all CRISPR-Cas9 system are “gene editing” technique which have made mutations easier. Particularly, CRISPR-Cas9 system seems to be extremely profitable in terms of accessibility, efficiency and versatility. The aims of the present article are: 1. to reconstruct the main “facts” about the birth of the topic on “gene editing”; to seek to answer a first question about the novelty of issues raised by this topic. Our conclusion is that, from an ethical point of view, using these techniques does not raise new ethical questions. Perhaps, the only exception refers to the specific mutations produced through these techniques which cannot be distinguished from natural mutations and makes GMO classification more difficult.