the computers would soon take over everything.

コンピューターがすべてで使われる

>From shopping to dating and the stock market.

と言われたらどうだろう？

That billions of people would be connected via a kind of web.

何億という人がネットで繋がり

That you would own a handheld device

携帯式の機械が

orders of magnitude more powerful than supercomputers.

スパコンの能力を超える と

It would seem absurd but then all of it happened.

突飛な話だが 実際に起きた

Science fiction became our reality that we don't even think about it

SFが現実化したが 人はすぐ慣れた

We're at a similar point today with genetic engineering.

それと近いのが遺伝子工学だ

So let's talk about it.

その話をしよう

Where it came from? What we're doing right now?

今何が起きているのか

And about a recent breakthrough that will change how we live

最新技術は世界をどう変え

and what we perceive as "normal" forever.

新しい常識となっていくのか

Humans have been engineering life for thousands of years. Through selective breeding

"遺伝子組換え"

we strengthened useful traits and plants and animals.

人類は数千年間 工学をしてきた

We became very good at this but never truly understood how it works.

種を選別し 良い特徴を強化したのだ

Until we discovered the code of life: deoxyribonucleic acid, DNA,

成功したが 仕組みは謎のままだった

a complex molecule the guide of the growth, development function

デオキシリボ核酸

and reproduction of everything alive.

DNAを見つけるまでは

Information is encoded in the structure of the molecule.

複雑な分子によって

Four nucleotides are paired and make up a code that carries instructions.

すべての生物は発達 生殖を行う

Change the instructions and you change the being carrying it.

分子構造には情報があり

As soon as DNA was discovered people try to tinker with it.

４つの基本単位が指示を出している

In the 1960's, scientists bombarded plants with radiation

指示を変えれば 生物も変わる

to cause random mutations in the genetic code.

DNAの発見後 研究が始まった

The idea was to get a useful plant variation by pure chance.

60年代 植物に放射線を浴びせ

Sometimes, it actually worked too.

遺伝子に変異を起こさせた

In the 70's, scientists inserted DNA snippets into bacteria, plants and animals

有用なものができないか探し

to study and modify them for research, medicine, agriculture and for fun.

できることもあった

The earliest genetically modified animal was born in 1974,

70年代 細菌 植物 動物の

making mice a standard tool for research, saving millions of lives.

遺伝子の一部を混ぜて組換え

In the 80's, we got commercial.

研究 薬 農業などへの応用を探った

first patent was given for a microbe engineered to absorb oil today we

1974年 組換えたネズミが生まれ

produce many chemicals by means of engineered life like life-saving

研究道具として多くの命を救った

clotting factors growth hormones and insulin, all things we had to harvest

80年代 最初の特許が

from the organs of animals before that. The first food modified in the lab went

石油を食べる微生物で取られた

on sale in 1994: the Flavr Savr tomato, a tomato given a much longer shelf life

現在では多くの化学物質が

where an extra gene that suppresses the build-up of a rotting enzyme. But GM food

組換え生物から生み出されている

and the controversy surrounding them deserve a video of their own.

以前は動物の臓器からだった

In the 1990's there was also a brief foray into human engineering. To treat

1994年 初の遺伝子組換え食品が発売

maternal infertility, babies were made to carry genetic information from

新鮮さが長持ちするそのトマトには

three humans making them the first humans ever to have three genetic

腐敗を抑える遺伝子が入っていた

parents. Today there are super muscled pigs, fast-growing salmon, featherless

この話でも動画が一つ作れるだろう

chickens and see-through frogs. On the fun side, we made things glow in the dark

90年代 人間への応用が始まった

fluorescent zebrafish are available for as little as ten dollars.

不妊治療で３人の遺伝子から

All of this is already very impressive but until recently,

子どもが生まれた

gene editing was extremely expensive, complicated and took a long time to do.

３人の親を持つ最初の人間の誕生だ

This has now changed with a revolutionary new technology now

他に筋肉質のブタ 成長の早いサケ

entering the stage: CRISPR. Overnight, the costs of engineering have shrunk by 99%

毛なしのニワトリ 透明なカエルも

Instead of a year.

明るい話もある

it takes a few weeks to conduct experiments and basically everybody with

光る熱帯魚が今では10ドルで買える

a lab can do it. It's hard to get across how big a technical revolution CRISPR is.

驚くべきことだが

It literally has the potential to change humanity forever.

未だ遺伝子編集はとても高価で

Why did this sudden revolution happen and how does it work?

時間のかかる技術だ

Bacteria and viruses have been fighting since the dawn of life.

そこに今 革命的な新技術が登場した

So-called bacteriophages, or phages, hunt bacteria.

クリスパーだ

In the ocean, phages kill 40% of them every single day.

これにより費用が99％削減され

Phages do this by inserting their own genetic code into

時間も１年から数週間に短縮

the bacteria and taking them over to use them as factories.

簡単に扱えるようになった

The bacteria try to resist, but fail most of the time

このすごさを伝えるのは中々難しい

because their protection tools are too weak.

人類を永久に変える可能性がある

But sometimes, bacteria survive an attack. Only if they do so can they activate

ではこの革命的技術は

their most effective antivirus system. They save a part of the virus DNA in

どんなものなのか

their own genetic code in a DNA archive called CRISPR.

"地球最古の戦争"

Here it's stored safely until it's needed.

細菌とウイルスは昔から戦っている

When the virus attacks again, the bacterium quickly makes an RNA copy

バクテリオファージは細菌を捕まえ

from the DNA archive and arms a secret weapon, a protein called Cas9.

海では毎日その40％を殺している

The protein now scans the bacterium's inside for signs of the virus invader by

自身の遺伝子を注入することで

comparing every bit of DNA it finds to the sample from the archive.

細胞を乗っ取っている

When it finds a 100-percent perfect match

細菌も抵抗するが

it's activated and cuts out the virus DNA making it useless, protecting the

道具が弱すぎて大抵は負ける

bacterium against the attack.

しかし生き残ることもある

What's special is that Cas9 is very precise, almost like a DNA surgeon.

生き残ったのは

The revolution began when scientists figured out that the CRISPR system is programmable.

反ウイルスシステムがあったからだ

You can just give it a copy of DNA you want to modify and put the

そのシステムはウイルスのDNAを

system into a living cell. If the old techniques of genetic manipulation were

クリスパーに保存する

like a map, CRISPR is like a GPS system. Aside from being precise cheap and easy,

安全なDNA保管庫だ

CRISPR offers the ability to edit life cells to switch genes on and

ウイルスに攻撃されると

off and target and study particular DNA sequences.

ここでRNAをコピーして

It also works for every type of cell: microorganisms, plants

CAS９という秘密兵器に渡す

animals or humans. But despite the revolution CRISPR is for science,

ここではウイルスがいないか

it's still just a first generation tool. More precise tools are already being

体内にあるDNAと

created and used as we speak.

保管していたDNAと照合している

In 2015, scientists use CRISPR to cut the HIV virus out of living cells from patients

100％一致した場合

in the lab, proving that it was possible. Only about a year later they carried out

そのウイルスのDNAを切断し

a larger scale project with rats that had the HIV virus in basically all of

攻撃できなくさせている

their body cells. By simply injecting CRISPR into the rats tails, they were

その仕事はとても正確で

able to remove more than 50% of the virus from cells all over the body.

DNAの外科医と言える

In a few decades, a CRISPR therapy might cure HIV and other retroviruses.

この機能が利用できると

Viruses that hide inside human DNA like herpes could be eradicated this way.

気づいたのが大きかった

CRISPR could also defeat one of our worst enemies: cancer. Cancer occurs when

DNAのコピーを渡して

cells refused to die and keep multiplying while concealing themselves

細胞に入れればいい

from the immune system. CRISPR gives us the means to edit your immune cells and

古い技術が地図だとすれば

make them better cancer hunters. Getting rid of cancer might eventually mean

クリスパーはGPSシステムだ

getting just a couple of injections of a few thousand of your own cells that have

正確で 安く 簡単な

been engineered in the lab to heal you for good.

遺伝子の編集が可能になり

The first clinical trial for a CRISPR cancer treatment on human patients was

遺伝子を操作して

approved in early 2016 in the US. Not even a month later, Chinese

研究できるようになった

scientists announced that they would treat lung cancer patients with immune

どの細胞でも可能だ

cells modified by CRISPR in August 2016. Things are picking up pace quickly.

細菌 植物 動物 人間のでも

And then there are genetic diseases. There are thousands of them and they range,

十分革命的だが

from merely annoying to deadly or entail decades of suffering. With a powerful

これはまだ第一世代の道具で

tool like CRISPR, we may be able to end this. Over 3,000 genetic diseases are

今はより正確な道具が作られている

caused by a single incorrect letter in your DNA.

"病気はなくなる？"

We are already building a modified version of Cas9 that is made to

2015年 クリスパーで細胞内の

change just a single letter, fixing the disease in the cell. In a decade or two

HIVウイルスの除去を試すと

we could possibly cure thousands of diseases forever. But all of these

うまくいった

medical applications have one thing in common: they are limited to the

次に 全細胞がHIVに感染した

individual and die with them, except if you use them on reproductive cells or

ネズミを使って実験すると

very early embryos. But CRISPR can and probably will be used for much more:

クリスパーを注射しただけで

the creation of modified humans, designer babies and will mean gradual but

50％以上のウイルスが除去できた

irreversible changes to the human gene pool.

これを使えばHIVウイルスの他

The means to edit the genome of a

ヘルペスなどのウイルスも

human embryo already exists, though the technology is still in its early stages.

数十年以内に撲滅できるだろう

But it has already been attempted twice: in 2015 and 2016, Chinese scientists

クリスパーは最悪の敵

experimented with human embryos and were partially successful on their second

ガンにも使える

attempt. They showed the enormous challenges we still face in gene editing

ガンは細胞が死を拒み

embryos but also that scientists are working on solving them.

体内に潜伏したものだが

This is like the computer in the seventies: there will be better computers.

免疫細胞を強化すれば

Regardless of your personal take on genetic engineering, it will affect you.

発見も可能になる

Modified humans could alter the genome of our entire species because their

将来ガンの治療は

engineered traits will be passed on to that children and could spread over

強化した自分の細胞の注射で

generations slowly modifying the whole gene pool of humanity. It will start

行われるのかもしれない

slowly: the first designer babies will not be overly designed, it's most likely

2016年初め アメリカで

that they will be created to eliminate deadly genetic disease running a family.

クリスパーの臨床試験が認められ

As the technology progresses and gets more refined, more and more people may argue

ひと月経たず 中国からも

that not using genetic modification is unethical, because it condemns children

肺ガンで試験を行うと発表があった

to preventable suffering and death and denies them to cure. But as soon as the

進歩は早い

first engineered kid is born, a door is opened that can't be closed anymore.

遺伝病はどうだろう

Early on, vanity traits will mostly be left alone, but as genetic modification

死んだり 長く苦しむものなど

becomes more accepted and our knowledge of our genetic code enhances,

たくさんの遺伝病があるが

the temptation will grow.

これもなくせるかもしれない

If you make your offspring immune to Alzheimer, why not also

3000を越す遺伝子病は

give them an enhanced metabolism?

DNAの不具合で起こる

Why not throw in perfect eyesight? How about height or muscular structure?

改良したCAS９なら

Full hair? How about giving your child the gift of extraordinary intelligence? Huge changes

壊れた遺伝子だけを

are made as a result of the personal decisions of millions of individuals

治すことができる

that accumulate. This is a slippery slope. Modified humans could become the new

将来 病気はなくなるかもしれない

standard, but as engineering becomes more normal and our knowledge improves, we

しかし実用には問題もある

could solve the single biggest mortality risk factor: aging. Two-thirds of the

治療法は個人にしか使えず

150,000 people who die today will die of age-related causes. Currently we think

その人の生殖細胞か 初期胚が必要だ

aging is caused by the accumulation of damage to ourselves, like DNA breaks and

クリスパーの用途は他にもある

the system's responsible for fixing those wearing off over time. But there

遺伝子組換え人間の作成だ

are also genes that directly affect aging. A combination of genetic

これは人類自体を変えることになる

engineering and other therapy could stop or slow down aging, maybe even reverse it.

"デザイナーベビー"

We know from nature that there are animals immune to aging. Maybe we could

人間の胚の編集技術はすでに存在し

even borrow a few genes for ourselves. Some scientists even think biological

まだ初期段階ではあるが

aging could be something that eventually just stops being a thing. We would still

すでに２回行われた

die at some point, but instead of doing so in hospitals at age 90

2015年と2016年 中国で実験が行われ

we might be able to spend a few thousand years with our loved ones. Research into

２回目の実験で部分的に成功した

this is in its infancy, and many scientists are rightly skeptical about

多くの課題があるとわかったが

the end of aging. The challenges are enormous, and maybe it is unachievable.

科学者は進歩を果たすだろう

But it is conceivable that people alive today might be the first to profit from

70年代のコンピューターが

effective anti aging therapy. All we might need is for someone to convince a

そうなったように

smart billionaire to make it their next problem to solve. On a bigger scale we

この技術は人類全体に影響を及ぼす

certainly could solve many problems by having a modified population. Engineered

組換えた人間の遺伝子は

humans might be better equipped to cope with high-energy food, eliminating many

世代を経て拡散していき

diseases of civilization like obesity.

やがて人類の種全体を

In possession of a modified immune system with a library of potential

変えることになる

threat, we might become immune to most diseases that haunt us today.

最初は控えめに

Even further into the future we could engineer humans to be equipped for

大きく変えるというより

extended space travel and to cope with different conditions on other planet,

遺伝病を除去する形で始まるだろう

which would be extremely helpful in keeping us alive in our hostile universe.

技術が進むにつれて

Still a few major challenges await us. Some technological, some ethical.

遺伝子を組換えない方が

Many of you watching will feel uncomfortable and fear that we will create a world in

非倫理的になりえる

which we will reject non-perfect humans and preselect features and qualities

子どもたちの苦しみを

based on our idea of what's healthy.

取り除かないものとして

The thing is we are already living in this world. Tests for dozens of genetic

だが一度認められれば

diseases or complications have become standard for pregnant women

ドアは開き 閉められない

in much of the world.

最初こそ扱わないものの

Often, the mere suspicion of a genetic defect can lead to the end of pregnancy.

遺伝子組換え技術が進み

Take Down Syndrome for example: one of the most common genetic defects.

受け入れられていけば

In Europe, about ninety percent of all pregnancies where it's detected are

誘惑が出てくる

terminated. The decision to terminate pregnancy is incredibly personal, but

アルツハイマーは予防して

it's important to acknowledge the reality that we are preselecting humans

メタボは予防しないのか？

based on medical conditions. There is also no use in pretending this will

完璧な視力は？

change, so we have to act carefully and respectfully as we advance the

高い身長や筋肉は？

technology and can make more and more selections. But none of this will happen

枯れない髪

soon: as powerful as CRISPR is, and it is, it's not infallible yet. Wrong edit

高い知性を授けたらどうか

still happen as well as unknown errors that could occur anywhere in the DNA and

多くの選択が積み重なれば

might go unnoticed. The gene edit might achieve the desired result

大きな変化になるだろう

disabling a disease, but also might accidentally trigger unwanted changes.

この道を行けば

We just don't know enough yet about the complex interplay of our genes to avoid

遺伝子組換えは新常識になる

unpredictable consequences. Working on accuracy and monitoring methods is a

そしてさらに技術が進んだ場合

major concern as the first human trials begin. And since we've discussed a

老化問題も解決できるかもしれない

possible positive future, there are darker visions too.

１日に死ぬ15万人の３分の２が

Imagine what a state like North Korea could do if they embraced genetic

老化が原因だ

engineering. Could a state cement its rule forever by forcing gene editing on

老化は 細胞への損傷の蓄積によって

their subjects? What would stop a totalitarian regime from engineering an

DNAが壊れるなど

army of modified super soldiers? It is doable in theory? Scenarios like this one

修復力が弱まることで起きる

are far far off into the future, if they ever become possible at all. But the

遺伝子が関係しているため

basic proof of concept for genetic engineering like this already exists

遺伝子操作と治療によって

today. The technology really is that powerful. One of this might be a tempting

老化を止められるかもしれない

reason to ban genetic editing and related research that would certainly

老化しない生物がいるが