Public Views of Gene Editing for Babies Depend on How It Would Be Used
By Cary Funk and Meg Hefferon,
Pew Research Center
| 07. 26. 2018
Americans’ views on the appropriateness of changing a baby’s genetic characteristics depend in large part on the intended purpose and on whether or not human embryos would be used in testing these techniques. A majority of Americans support the idea of using gene editing with the goal of delivering direct health benefits for babies, but at the same time, a majority considers the use of such techniques to boost a baby’s intelligence something that takes technology “too far.”
About seven-in-ten Americans (72%) say that changing an unborn baby’s genetic characteristics to treat a serious disease or condition that the baby would have at birth is an appropriate use of medical technology, while 27% say this would be taking technology too far. A somewhat smaller share of Americans say gene editing to reduce a baby’s risk of developing a serious disease or condition over their lifetime is appropriate (60% say this, while 38% say it would be taking medical technology too far). But just 19% of Americans say it would be appropriate to use gene editing to make a baby more...
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On July 15, Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Marco Rubio (R-FL), and Jack Reed (D-RI) introduced a bipartisan resolution calling for the creation of international ethical standards for gene-editing research.
The Center for Genetics and Society welcomes the introduction of this resolution, which highlights the importance of international cooperation and broadly inclusive public deliberation in making the consequential decision about whether to allow heritable genome editing.
“The timing is key,” said CGS’ Executive Director Marcy Darnovsky. “Just last month, a second...
By Gemma Buck, National Post | 07.08.2019
Canadian bioethicists and genetics experts are speaking out against Denis Rebrikov, the Russian molecular biologist who plans — in defiance of international scientific norms — to alter human embryos using CRISPR gene-editing technology to allow prospective parents with genetic deafness...
By Jackie Leach Scully & Teresa Blankmeyer Burke, Guest Contributors
| 07.09.2019
Editors note: This article was originally published on impactethics.ca and is reposted here with generous permission from Impact Ethics.
In November 2018, the world learned that a Chinese biophysicist, He Jiankui, had used CRISPR genome editing technology to manipulate the genomes of two children prior to their birth to make them immune to HIV infection. This was followed by almost universal condemnation and calls for a global moratorium. But it was entirely predictable that before too long there would be...
By Rob Stein, National Public Radio | 07.01.2019
Scientists have created living entities that resemble very primitive human embryos, the most advanced example of these structures yet created in a lab.
The researchers hope these creations, made from human embryonic stem cells, will provide crucial new insights into...
