Exploring the Meaning of Genetic Healing in CRISPR-Cas9 Therapy

Abstract

Gene therapy represents a transformative advancement in molecular medicine, offering the ability to correct hereditary diseases at their genetic source. Within this context, CRISPR-Cas9–based interventions have redefined therapeutic possibilities while simultaneously raising ethical, psychological, and existential questions about human identity and biological alteration. Despite rapid clinical progress, little is known about how patients experience and make sense of being genetically healed. This study addresses that gap by asking: What does it mean to be genetically healed from the patient’s perspective? Using an interpretative phenomenological approach (IPA), this research explores the lived experiences of ten patients who underwent CRISPR-Cas9 therapy for hereditary blood disorders. Data were collected over a 12-week period through in-depth, semi-structured interviews lasting 60–90 minutes each, and analyzed using Smith’s four IPA analytic stages (reading–re-reading, initial noting, developing emergent themes, and cross-case patterning). The findings reveal that healing is perceived as an existential journey rather than a purely biological recovery, characterized by the interplay of hope, fear, identity transformation, and moral reflection. Participants described genetic correction as both liberating and disorienting a process of redefining selfhood within the evolving boundaries of human science. These results highlight the need to integrate phenomenological insights into the clinical and ethical frameworks of gene therapy. By foregrounding the human meaning of genetic transformation, this study broadens our understanding of molecular medicine and underscores the importance of patient-centered approaches in future biomedical innovation.