News

'Superbabies' Startup Seeks Funds for Controversial Gene Editing Push

By Sophie Alexander and Ike Swetlitz, Bloomberg | 06.25.2025

A California-startup focused on genetically editing human embryos — a step toward creating so-called designer babies — is raising money as many of Silicon Valley’s ultra-rich turn their attention to one of the most controversial technologies in medicine.

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Patents & Other IP

Can doctors test embryos for autism? And should they?

By Brittany Luse, Liam McBain, and Neena Pathak, NPR [cites CGS' Katie Hasson] | 05.28.2025

A newly available kind of genetic testing, called polygenic embryo screening, promises to screen for conditions that can include cancer, obesity, autism, bipolar disorder, even celiac disease. These conditions are informed by many genetic variants and environmental factors - so...

Genetic Selection

Why Deleting Your 23andMe Data Is a Political Imperative

By Katie Sagaser, The DNA Exchange | 05.27.2025

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this piece are solely my own and do not represent those of my...

U.S. Federal

Trumpian “Common Sense” and the History of IQ Tests

By Pepper Stetler, Los Angeles Review of Books | 05.08.2025

"Donald Trump Signs The Pledge" by Michael Vadon 
is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.

This is...

Society
Purple-colored sickle cells over a white background

A pill to treat sickle cell disease? Compound that activates fetal gene raises new hope

By Robert F. Service, Science | 07.04.2024

Image by Ed Uthman from Flickr

Last year, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved two gene therapy procedures...

Human Genetic Modification
a photo of Japan's Supreme Court buildinghttps://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Supreme_Court_of_Japan_(10357245203).jpg

Court orders Japanese government to pay damages over forced sterilisations

By Justin McCurry, The Guardian | 07.03.2024

Photo "Supreme Court of Japan" by Big Ben Japan on Wikimedia Commons licensed under CC by SA 2.0

Japan’s supreme...

Society
Image of coins spilling from glass jar

Surrogacy money scandal leaves parents-to-be in limbo nightmare

By Gilma Avalos, NBC | 07.03.2024

Image by Josh Appel from Unsplash

The dream of becoming parents is turning into a nightmare for hundreds of people...

U.S. Federal
image of stem cells

A Retracted Stem Cell Study Reveals Science’s Shortcomings

By Peter Aldhous, Scientific American | 07.02.2024

In June a notice posted on the website of the journal Nature set a new scientific record. It withdrew what...

Human Genetic Modification
Image of the supreme court building

With its 'Chevron' ruling, the Supreme Court claims to be smarter than scientific experts

By Michael Hiltzik, LA Times | 07.02.2024

Photo by Claire Anderson on Unsplash

Second only to the Supreme Court’s ruling Monday on when presidents are immune from...

U.S. Federal
depiction of IVF process

IVF in the USA: A political dance

By Sonia Suter and Naomi Cahn, PET | 07.01.2024

Image by Dusdn5959 from Wikimedia Commons

Since the US Supreme Court's 2022 decision to overturn Roe v Wade (see BioNews ...

Assisted Reproduction
X-ray image of a pair of lungs

Lung Institute found guilty of selling patients 'sham' stem cell treatment for incurable lung disease

By Katie LaGrone, WPTV | 06.28.2024

Image by National Cancer Institute from Unsplash

TAMPA, Fla. — A Tampa jury recently found the now-defunct Lung Institute in...

U.S. Federal
Image of a model human brain

‘Epigenome editor’ silences gene that causes deadly brain disorders

By Gemma Conroy, Nature | 06.27.2024

Image by Robina Weermeijer from Unsplash

A molecular-editing tool that’s small enough to be delivered to the brain shuts down...

Human Genetic Modification