Global Impacts
Health
A cure for HBV using Hepativir-B, a liver-targeted nanoparticle to safely and efficaciously deliver CRISPR-Cas9 against HBx and NTCP, could save the lives of almost 300 million people worldwide who are chronically infected with HBV and at risk for liver injury (including devastatingly fatal hepatocellular cancer and costly liver transplantation). A one-time cure would not only be convenient in developed countries but also allow those in the developing world or remote communities to be cured with a single doctor's visit. Furthermore, curing chronic HBV worldwide would relieve society from the burden of eventually caring for those patients who develop chronic liver disease or fatal cancer.
Hepativir-B would save the lives of the hundreds of millions worldwide who are infected with HBV and at risk of liver disease and cancer
Social
Detrimental stigmas against chronic HBV carriers are present in many nations. Carriers are often discriminated against and in many cases, have lost job offers or educational opportunities simply due to their HBV status. Several carriers have even committed suicide or criminal acts due to these stigmas. A cure for chronic HBV would ultimately eliminate these pervasive social issues and improve the quality of life of millions around the world.
Hepativir-B would eliminate harmful social stigmas against HBV carriers which significantly hurt their livelihoods
Economic
For millions living with chronic HBV, paying for daily treatments on a monthly basis can be a constant struggle. In addition, a cure would relieve the families of patients from the potential economic burden of a necessary liver transplant or cancer therapies. With a one-time cure,
low-income families would especially have an accessible way out of the debilitating poverty that comes along with a crippling disease.
Hepativir-B would reduce cyclical poverty through an affordable, one-time cure for HBV
Potential Drawbacks
Along with incredible benefits, there may also be some indirect risks. A cure for a chronic disease using CRISPR-Cas9 would validate the technology’s overall promise and may encourage its unethical use for genetic editing of human embryos, as seen recently in 2018 with the birth of twin babies whose embryos had been genetically edited ex vivo prior to IVF by Chinese scientists.
Successful use of gene-editing technologies in adults could increase the risk of its abuse in embryos