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Last week, the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) and its National Academy of Medicine (NAM) announced that they will convene an international meeting this fall at which researchers, ethicists, and other experts will discuss the implications of human germline gene-editing technologies in both research and clinical applications.
The White House applauds NAS and NAM for convening this dialogue and fully supports a robust review of the ethical issues associated with using gene-editing technology to alter the human germline. The Administration believes that altering the human germline for clinical purposes is a line that should not be crossed at this time.
The scientific community has a good record of establishing and adhering to ethical principles in genetic technology. In the 1970s, scientists called for a temporary moratorium on gene-splicing technology until the implications and policies could be sorted out. Similarly, this year scientists called for a moratorium on germline-editing research until the safety and ethical issues could be explored by the community.
The advances in health technology over the past century — vaccines, antibiotics, early disease diagnostics, and treatment for countless health...