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Uruguay: Gene Drives

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Limited Research, No Clear Regulations

Regulatory status of gene drives has not been determined.

Worldwide, gene drive regulations are in flux. Gene drives are being developed using transgenic technology (GMOs) that contain foreign genes, as well as gene editing, including CRISPR (synthetic gene drives), which do not, complicating regulatory oversight as gene editing and GMOs are often regulated differently.

Uruguay has not determined the regulatory status of gene drives.

Products/Research

None

Regulatory Timeline

None

NGO Reaction

None

Additional Resources

Click on a country (eg. Brazil, US) or region (eg. European Union) below to find which gene drive products and processes are approved or in development and their regulatory status.

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Gene Drive Index
Compare Regulatory Restrictions Country-to-Country

Gene editing regulations worldwide are evolving. The Gene Editing Index ratings below represent the current status of gene editing regulations and will be updated as new regulations are passed.

Colors and ratings guide
 

Regulation Status Rating
Determined: No Unique Regulations* 10
Lightly Regulated 8
Proposed: No Unique Regulations† 6
Ongoing Research, Regulations In Development 5
Highly Regulated 4
Mostly Prohibited 2
Limited Research, No Clear Regulations 1
Prohibited 0
Lightly Regulated: Gene drives regulated through existing biotechnology laws.
*Determined: No Unique Regulations: Gene and stem cell therapies regulated as phamaceuticals with no additional restrictions.

†Proposed: No Unique Regulations: Decrees under consideration for gene and stem cell therapies that would not require unique regulations beyond current restrictions on pharmaceuticals.

Gene Drives:
Genetic engineering technology used to transmit a characteristic throughout a wild population. For example, it can be used to develop mosquitoes that only have female offspring. If released into the wild, these mosquitoes would breed with wild malaria-carrying mosquitoes and over time would eliminate the population. Scientists are interested in using this technology to help eradicate disease-carrying insects and control invasive species, but questions about how gene drives will be directed and controlled are still being fleshed out.

Rating by Country / Region
Click each column header and arrow to sort the countries / regions

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Country / Region Gene Drives Gene Drive Rating
Japan 1 1
Brazil 8 8
Canada 8 8
Russia 1 1
Argentina 1 1
Israel 1 1
Australia 4 4
China 1 1
US 4 4
Chile 1 1
New Zealand 4 4
Ukraine 1 1
Central America 1 1
Paraguay 1 1
Uruguay 1 1
India 1 1
UK 2 2
Mexico 1 1
EU 2 2
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Gene editing is a set of techniques that can be used to precisely modify the DNA of almost any organism. It is being used for applications in human health, gene drives and agriculture. There are numerous gene-editing tools besides CRISPR-Cas 9, which gets most of the attention because it is a comparatively easy tool to use.

Gene editing does not usually involve transgenics – moving ‘foreign’ genes between species. It also refers to a specific technique in contrast to the general term GMO, which is scientifically ambiguous, as genetic modification is a process not a product. Most gene editing involves creating new products by deleting very small segments of DNA (sometimes in agriculture called Site-Directed Nuclease 1 or SDN-1 techniques), which can silence a gene or change a gene’s activity. Countries are evaluating whether or not to regulate this type of gene editing, since it is so similar to natural mutations. The GLP’s Gene Editing Index ratings reflect the regulatory status of SDN-1 techniques, which are the most liberally regulated and will generate most products in the near term.

To develop different products, gene editing can change larger segments of DNA or add DNA from other species (a form of transgenics sometimes in agriculture called SDN-2 or SDN-3 techniques). While many countries are not regulating or lightly regulating SDN-1 techniques, most are moving toward tightly regulating or even restricting SDN-2 and SDN-3.

For more background on the various gene editing SDN techniques, read background articles here and here.

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