The ethical dilemma of gene editing: Our reporter took your questions
By Carolyn Y. Johnson,
The Washington Post [cites CGS’ Pete Shanks ]
| 12. 08. 2023
The first medicine based on gene editing, a one-time therapy for sickle cell disease, was just approved in the United States. It’s a big moment for patients with sickle cell disease and for the technology called CRISPR, which powers the therapy.
I am Carolyn Johnson, a science reporter at The Washington Post, and I’ve been following the speedy trajectory of CRISPR from a scientific breakthrough in 2012 to a medicine that can alleviate human suffering 11 years later. On Tuesday, I answered your questions about the potential of this technology to transform medicine — and the challenges associated with it.
First, a quick primer: CRISPR is often compared to a pair of “molecular scissors” that can make targeted cuts in DNA, giving scientists the ability to easily and precisely alter the genome. Scientists often hear from families afflicted by genetic diseases hoping that this technology will help save their loved ones. It has also spurred controversies — including battles over who invented CRISPR and the fear that it will be used to create “designer babies.”
Here...
Related Articles
GeneWatch UK has prepared a briefing on the genetic modification of nature for the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Congress in October 2025
The upcoming Congress claims to be “where the world comes together to set priorities and drive conservation and sustainable development action.” A major concern for those on the outside is that the Congress may advance plans to develop and encourage the use of synthetic biology in nature conservation. This could at first glance sound like...
By Aaron Ginn, The Washington Post | 09.12.2025
Earlier this year, I had dinner in D.C. with Jensen Huang, the president and chief executive of Nvidia. At one point, he said something that struck me: “Why is everyone here so negative?”
He wasn’t referring to the economy...
By Roni Caryn Rabin, The New York Times | 08.25.2025
Scientists have dreamed for centuries about using animal organs to treat ailing humans. In recent years, those efforts have begun to bear fruit: Researchers have begun transplanting the hearts and kidneys of genetically modified pigs into patients, with varying degrees...
The Center for Genetics and Society is delighted to recommend the current edition of GMWatch Review – Number 589. UK-based GMWatch, a long-standing ally, was founded in 1998 by Jonathan Matthews as an independent organization seeking to counter the enormous corporate political power and propaganda of the GMO industry and its supporters. Matthews and Claire Robinson are its directors and managing editors.
CGS works to ensure that social justice, equity, human rights, and democratic governance are front...