Snip, snip, cure”? Philosophical, legal and biomedical perspectives on novel somatic genomic therapies
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 7177598 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Johanna Risse (0000-0002-6766-4309, University of Bonn, corresponding author), Lothar Pietrek (0000-0002-1127-0853, University of Passau), Tobias Cantz (0000-0002-1382-9577, Medizinische Hochschule Hannover), Merlin Krzemien (0009-0007-4724-5960, University of Bonn), Jan Schnalke (0009-0001-8045-4402, University of Bonn), Reto Eggenschwiler (0000-0003-3588-7847, Medizinische Hochschule Hannover), Thomas Heinemann (0000-0002-8316-7054, University of Bonn), Hans‐georg Dederer (0000-0001-6024-8727, University of Passau) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 28 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 425-445 |
| Publication date | 2025-08-11 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Medicine Health Care and Philosophy (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1386-7423 • E-ISSN: 1572-8633 |
| Publisher | Springer Science+Business Media (PUBLISHER • DE) |
| DOI | 10.1007/s11019-025-10284-5 |
| PMID | 40788566 |
| OpenAlex | W4413101578 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 72 |
The advent of innovative techniques, such as the CRISPR/Cas system, has opened up a new range of possibilities for modifying the genome, with the potential to address previously unmet therapeutic needs of patients with genetic diseases. These new possibilities have not only raised ethical concerns but also challenged existing classifications of genome modification techniques. While the legal status of some of these new therapies remains uncertain, there is an ongoing debate within philosophy of biology about the information-related metaphors adopted by scientists to describe and classify the genome and its therapeutic modification. Given the continuing advance of new genomic therapies, we show, employing an interdisciplinary approach, that a comprehensive framework for the classification of these technologies is needed to resolve legal and philosophical issues. The first section provides an analysis of the current state of novel genome-modifying techniques in medical genetics. In the second section, we assess the regulatory status of these techniques within the European regulatory framework for advanced therapy medicinal products (ATMPs). Drawing on these results, we argue in the third section from a philosophical perspective that metaphors, such as ‘editing’ the genome, which are based on a conception of the genome as linear information, cannot adequately capture the breadth of advanced genomic technologies. To accurately categorise these techniques in a manner that meets their diverse applications, we propose introducing the umbrella term ‘somatic genomic therapies’ (SGTs). Urging an integrative approach to defining and classifying new technologies in medical genetics, we advocate for the development of an integrative concept of SGTs
Alternative medicine · Biology · Data science · Engineering ethics · Epistemology · Genome · Genome editing · Genomic information · Medical law · Perspective (graphical · Philosophy of biology · Philosophy of medicine · Philosophy of science · Political science · Biomedical Ethics and Regulation · Computer Science · CRISPR and Genetic Engineering · Engineering · Law · Medicine · Philosophy · Pluripotent Stem Cells Research · Artificial Intelligence · Genetics
| Highly cited | No |
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