Biopolitical Times

The Center for Genetics and Society blog highlights the latest developments in the social, political, and ethical implications of human biotechnologies, with contributions from staff, fellows, consultants, and guest authors.

Is Gene Therapy Delivering on Its Promises?

By Pete Shanks | 01.18.2023

Gene therapy has been the next big thing in medicine for decades. Until recent years, the results were underwhelming. Now there are promising developments and real successes, but significant questions remain: Is it safe enough? How many people might benefit, and under what conditions? And, crucially, how much will gene therapies cost and who will pay?

It has been more than 50 years since gene therapy was formally proposed; more than 40 years since the first scandal; more than 30...

Human Genetic Modification

The Center for Genetics and Society: 2022 Highlights

By CGS Staff | 01.14.2023

Biopolitical Times

^{Photo by Isabela Kronemberger on Unsplash}

Throughout 2022, CGS worked to deepen and expand collaborations with advocates and scholars concerned about the social justice implications of a range of human biotechnologies, with a major focus on the alarming prospect of using genome editing in human reproduction. We also organized and sponsored public events; curated, analyzed, and commented on news related to human genetics and assisted reproduction, both in media outlets and in our own newsletter and social media; and conducted...

Policies

Hipster Eugenics: Better Babies for Billionaires

By Pete Shanks | 11.30.2022

^{Cropped from: “Decentralized_Transhumanism” by

Leonel Sohns, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons}

The techno-utopian credos known as “effective altruism” and “longtermism” have recently gained wide notice, judging by Google searches, news articles, and personal experience. Far less attention has...

Assisted Reproduction

Celebrating Loretta Ross

By Emily Galpern | 10.19.2022

_{photo credit: John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation}

The Center for Genetics and Society would like to congratulate reproductive justice and human rights activist Loretta Ross on her MacArthur Fellowship last week. Loretta was one of the founders of...

Civil Society

Biopolitical Times

Is Gene Therapy Delivering on Its Promises?

The Center for Genetics and Society: 2022 Highlights

Hipster Eugenics: Better Babies for Billionaires

Celebrating Loretta Ross

ACMG: Do Not Use Polygenic Risk Scores for Embryo Selection

Dispatch from the Gene Editing Summit

The UK Campaign to Legalize Germline Gene Editing

On Safety in Engineering Embryos: Engage the Brakes

Spotlighting Social Justice Before the Gene Editing Summit

A Sandbox for Designer Babies?

End of an Error?

The transhumanist philosopher, Silicon Valley money, and lab-made gametes