Manipulating the Genome of Human Embryos: Some Unforeseen Effects
By Craig Holdrege,
The Nature Institute
| 06. 22. 2015
Untitled Document
In recent years scientists have developed powerful tools to create specific breaks in DNA sequences. They can then either repair those breaks or introduce new DNA into the sequence at the site of the break. These are called genome editing techniques. Two main techniques at present are the CRISPR-Cas9 system and zinc-finger nucleases. In principle, researchers can modify any part of the genome. They have achieved intended modifications in experiments with human and animal cells and also with mouse embryos. But the specific alterations do not always occur and there are also unintended effects.
The techniques are not as precise as they are sometimes made out to be, so there is every reason for caution in their application, especially in connection with the manipulation of human cells or human embryos. But over and beyond technical issues is the pressing ethical concern: should researchers cross the line into genetically manipulating human embryos?
Knowing that scientists in China were performing these experiments, two groups of researchers and others published comments in Science and Nature in March 2015 warning about...
Related Articles
By Hannah Devlin, The Guardian | 07.05.2025
Scientists are just a few years from creating viable human sex cells in the lab, according to an internationally renowned pioneer of the field, who says the advance could open up biology-defying possibilities for reproduction.
Speaking to the Guardian, Prof...
By Rob Stein, NPR | 07.16.2025
Scientists can protect children from being born with certain devastating genetic disorders by creating "three-parent" babies, according to the results of a landmark study released Wednesday.
British researchers used the experimental technique to help families have eight children who appear...
By Jessica Hamzelou, MIT Technology Review | 07.18.2025
This week we heard that eight babies have been born in the UK following an experimental form of IVF that involves DNA from three people. The approach was used to prevent women with genetic mutations from passing mitochondrial diseases to...
By Jessica Hamzelou, MIT Technology Review | 07.16.2025
Eight babies have been born in the UK thanks to a technology that uses DNA from three people: the two biological parents plus a third person who supplies healthy mitochondrial DNA. The babies were born to mothers who carry genes...