Center for Advanced Studies in Agriculture and Food Security (CASAFS), University of Agriculture, Faisalabad 38000, Pakistan.
Department of Biochemistry, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad 38000, Pakistan.
Int J Mol Sci. 2021 Oct 29;22(21):11753. doi: 10.3390/ijms222111753.
The revolutionary technology of CRISPR/Cas systems and their extraordinary potential to address fundamental questions in every field of biological sciences has led to their developers being awarded the 2020 Nobel Prize for Chemistry. In agriculture, CRISPR/Cas systems have accelerated the development of new crop varieties with improved traits-without the need for transgenes. However, the future of this technology depends on a clear and truly global regulatory framework being developed for these crops. Some CRISPR-edited crops are already on the market, and yet countries and regions are still divided over their legal status. CRISPR editing does not require transgenes, making CRISPR crops more socially acceptable than genetically modified crops, but there is vigorous debate over how to regulate these crops and what precautionary measures are required before they appear on the market. This article reviews intended outcomes and risks arising from the site-directed nuclease CRISPR systems used to improve agricultural crop plant genomes. It examines how various CRISPR system components, and potential concerns associated with CRISPR/Cas, may trigger regulatory oversight of CRISPR-edited crops. The article highlights differences and similarities between GMOs and CRISPR-edited crops, and discusses social and ethical concerns. It outlines the regulatory framework for GMO crops, which many countries also apply to CRISPR-edited crops, and the global regulatory landscape for CRISPR-edited crops. The article concludes with future prospects for CRISPR-edited crops and their products.
CRISPR/Cas 系统的革命性技术及其在解决各个生物科学领域的基本问题方面的非凡潜力，使得其开发者获得了 2020 年诺贝尔化学奖。在农业领域，CRISPR/Cas 系统加速了具有改良特性的新型作物品种的开发，而无需使用转基因。然而，这项技术的未来取决于为这些作物制定一个明确且真正全球化的监管框架。一些经过 CRISPR 编辑的作物已经上市，但各国和地区对它们的法律地位仍存在分歧。CRISPR 编辑不需要转基因，这使得 CRISPR 作物比转基因作物更能被社会接受，但对于如何监管这些作物以及在它们上市之前需要采取哪些预防措施，存在激烈的争论。本文综述了用于改良农业作物基因组的靶向核酸酶 CRISPR 系统所带来的预期结果和风险。本文探讨了各种 CRISPR 系统组件以及与 CRISPR/Cas 相关的潜在问题如何引发对 CRISPR 编辑作物的监管审查。文章重点介绍了转基因生物和 CRISPR 编辑作物之间的差异和相似之处，并讨论了社会和伦理问题。本文概述了适用于转基因作物的监管框架，许多国家也将其应用于 CRISPR 编辑作物，以及 CRISPR 编辑作物的全球监管格局。文章最后展望了 CRISPR 编辑作物及其产品的未来前景。
