Gene drives are selfish genetic elements that are transmitted to progeny at super-Mendelian (>50%) frequencies. Recently developed CRISPR–Cas9-based gene-drive systems are highly efficient in laboratory settings, offering the potential to reduce the prevalence of vector-borne diseases, crop pests and non-native invasive species. However, concerns have been raised regarding the potential unintended impacts of gene-drive systems. This Review summarizes the phenomenal progress in this field, focusing on optimal design features for full-drive elements (drives with linked Cas9 and guide RNA components) that either suppress target mosquito populations or modify them to prevent pathogen transmission, allelic drives for updating genetic elements, mitigating strategies including trans-complementing split-drives and genetic neutralizing elements, and the adaptation of drive technology to other organisms. These scientific advances, combined with ethical and social considerations, will facilitate the transparent and responsible advancement of these technologies towards field implementation.

基因驱动是自私的遗传元素，以超孟德尔（>50%）频率传递给后代。最近开发的基于 CRISPR-Cas9 的基因驱动系统在实验室环境中非常高效，为减少媒介传播疾病、农作物害虫和非本地入侵物种的流行提供了潜力。然而，人们对基因驱动系统潜在的意外影响表示担忧。本综述总结了该领域的显着进展，重点关注全驱动元件（连接 Cas9 和引导 RNA 组件的驱动器）的最佳设计特征，这些元件可以抑制目标蚊子种群或对其进行修改以防止病原体传播，以及用于更新遗传元件的等位基因驱动器，缓解策略包括反式互补分裂驱动和遗传中和元件，以及驱动技术适应其他生物体。这些科学进步，加上伦理和社会考虑，将促进这些技术以透明和负责任的方式推进现场实施。