We can edit the human genome, but should we?

CRISPR is a recent technological breakthrough in simplifying gene editing,

It’s potential is enormous and at the same time it raises great concerns. Those concerns exploded when a Chinese scientist edited the genetic sequence of an embryo (germline) to create twin babies who are resistant to HIV.

The news raised huge concerns in the scientific community as this potentially changes the human genome from this day forward.

While the initial furor seems to have died down, a research professor at Dalhousie University is concerned that the scientific community now seems to be asking about how such things should be done, and not if they should be done at all.

Professor Françoise Baylis, (CM, ONS, PhD) has written an opinion article on the subject which was published in the science journal “Nature: Human Behaviour” entitled, Questioning the proposed translational pathway for germline genome editing” ( abstract here)

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With the creation of CRISPR gene editing, the potential, or perhaps spectre, of being able to produce so-called “designer babies” was raised. Then in late 2018, a Chinese researcher announced that he had successfully done so...