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.

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gilt DNA

Since the “CRISPR babies” scandal in 2018, no additional genetically modified babies are known to have been born. Now several techno-enthusiastic billionaires are setting up privately funded companies to genetically edit human embryos, with the explicit intention of creating genetically modified children.    

Heritable genome editing remains prohibited by policies in the overwhelming majority of countries that have any relevant policy, and by a binding European treaty. Support for keeping it legally off limits is widespread, including among scientists...

Biopolitical Times

"Golden mitochondria" by National Institutes of Health
(NIH) is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0

Last week, researchers at the UK’s Newcastle Fertility Centre published the findings of their years-long experiment with “mitochondrial donation” techniques, also known as three-person IVF. In two papers published in the New England Journal of Medicine, they reported on eight children born from the technique. The children range in age from five months to over two years old. One pregnancy is ongoing. While...

"BXP135660" by tableatny is
licensed under CC BY 2.0.

Last week, Wired published a substantial, deeply reported article on a topic that has been hyped for decades:

The Definitive, Insane, Swimsuit-Bursting Story of the Steroid Olympics
by...

The Center for Genetics and Society mourns the loss of long-time colleague George Annas, who died on May 30. A remembrance at Bioethics Today calls George an “unwavering defender of human rights” and “a brilliant communicator, an intellectual pioneer, a...