Bipartisan Resolution Urges Creation of International Gene-Editing Standards
By Samara Rosenfeld,
Inside Digital Health [cites CGS' Marcy Darnovsky]
| 07. 19. 2019
It’s no secret that gene editing has sparked ethical concerns. In March, scientists and ethicists from seven countries issued a strict global moratorium on heritable genome editing in sperm, eggs and embryos. And this week, Sens. Dianne Feinstein, Marco Rubio and Jack Reed introduced a bipartisan resolution urging for the creation of international ethical standards for gene-editing research.
“There has been global outcry in response to unethical gene-editing experiments, and scientists have warned of the potential long-term consequences that could impact generations,” said Rubio, a Republican from Florida. “As we move forward, it’s vital that the U.S. lead the way in creating ethical standards for gene-editing research.”
The news of the resolution follows reports from last November of Chinese researchers claiming to have used CRISPR gene-editing technology to help a couple give birth to genetically modified twin girls. While this news raised many eyebrows, it did not stop a Russian scientist from saying this past June that he was planning to produce gene-edited babies in HIV-positive women.
The resolution states that the Senate opposes the...
Related Articles
By Carl Zimmer, The New York Times | 06.04.2026
Scientists at Columbia University have edited the DNA of early human embryos with unprecedented accuracy, an achievement that could open the way to babies engineered with particular characteristics.
The prospect has fueled controversy for years. On the one hand, the...
Faster, Higher, Stronger was the Olympic motto from 1874 until 2001, when “ – Together” was added, to stress the “moral and educational perspective” of the Games. The folks who paid for or participated in the Enhanced Games – the name itself a nod to the Olympics – held in Las Vegas on Sunday, May 24, apparently use a different edit:
Faster, Higher, Stronger with Chemistry
High-level sport draws huge crowds. Coming very soon, the soccer World Cup, featuring...
By Gina Kolata, The New York Times | 05.25.2026
In a small, preliminary study, an experimental gene-editing treatment dramatically lowered cholesterol levels, perhaps permanently, after just one infusion, scientists reported on Monday.
If confirmed in larger studies, researchers hope the findings may lead to a one-and-done way to prevent...
By Ryan Cross, Endpoint News | 05.20.2026
BOSTON — Over the past year, I’ve begun hearing rumblings from scientists who secretly think it’s time to stop being stodgy about editing the genes of human embryos.
For the most part, they are still too timid to speak up...
