Gene drives: Opportunities and risks of a technology to spread desired traits in populations

A new TAB report provides a comprehensive overview of the state of development, potential applications, safety and regulatory issues of gene drive systems
Cover TAB-Fokus no. 48: Gene drives. Technologies for spreading genetic modifications in populations
Policy brief TAB-Fokus no. 48: Gene drives. Technologies for spreading genetic modifications in populations

Some pressing challenges in the fields of public health, agriculture and the protection of certain ecosystems require options for controlling various (harmful) organisms. Some of the strategies pursued to date appear to be increasingly problematic or no longer sufficiently effective. These include the fight against mosquito-borne diseases, particularly malaria in the highly endemic areas of sub-Saharan Africa. Despite progress, 95% of the more than 600,000 malaria deaths worldwide (80% of them in children under five) still occur there.

New approaches to malaria control and ecosystem protection

A new approach to combating harmful organisms is offered by DNA segments that can be produced using genetic engineering methods. These allow individual genes, and thus certain traits, to be passed on much more frequently than under normal inheritance rules - and can thus completely change or eliminate populations within a few generations. The development and production of these gene drives has been greatly accelerated and intensified over the past decade by the new possibilities offered by genome editing. At the same time, a controversial, polarised scientific and public debate has developed about the potential and risks of possible applications of gene drive systems.

The most intensively pursued potential applications are the elimination of populations of malaria-transmitting mosquitoes or their modification so that they cannot transmit the malaria parasite efficiently enough. In addition, gene drive approaches are being pursued to eliminate populations of invasive rodent species on islands to protect local ecosystems or to control insect pests in agriculture.

Potential and risks difficult to assess without field trials

The potential spread of gene drives beyond target populations and national borders and the associated potential damage to ecosystems are discussed as relevant risks that may be difficult to control. Misuse for terrorist purposes or as a biological weapon for military use [HK1] are also discussed as possible dangers. However, all gene drive systems developed so far have only been tested under laboratory conditions, which severely limits a reliable assessment of their real potential and risks.

Comprehensive information and options for action

The TAB report provides a comprehensive and well-founded information base on the current state of development, potential applications, and safety and regulatory issues of gene drive systems. Options for action are derived from the challenges posed by the development of such systems and from the assessment of possible benefits and risks, in particular with regard to research funding and a risk assessment process that is as widely accepted as possible.

The main results are presented in the four-page TAB-Fokus no. 48 and its web version on the project page.

20.03.2025

Downloads und weitere Informationen