(NewsNation) — Gene-editing treatments have picked up steam in the U.S., and “biohacking” is taking the process to another level.
Biohacking is described as making small, strategic changes to habits and behaviors to improve things like cognitive function and weight management. The method has gained notoriety because of artists like Jo Zayner, a transgender biohacker.
Zayner is one of many who have apparently used at-home CRISPR gene-editing kits for self-experimentation.
“Already the most common technique of gene editing, CRISPR works like a satnav system joined to a pair of molecular scissors,” according to Bristows.com. “It is essentially a couple of enzymes that can be designed to find and remove a specific strand of DNA inside a cell, and then replace it with a new piece of genetic material.”
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration says it’s aware of “do-it-yourself” kits for producing gene therapies for self-experimentation; however, the sale of such kits is against the law.
“Consumers are cautioned to make sure that any gene therapy they are considering has either been approved by FDA or is being studied under appropriate regulatory oversight,” the FDA advises.
