Scientific committee draws line at using gene editing to create designer babies
TORONTO — Genome editing, a powerful technology that allows researchers to add, remove or replace snippets of DNA from cells, should only be used for the potential treatment or prevention of serious diseases and disabilities — not to produce “designer babies” with traits that could be passed on to future generations, an international committee of scientists says.
In a report released Tuesday, the U.S. National Academies of Sciences and Medicine outlined recommendations for global researchers as they go forward with clinical trials using genome-editing technology, which has raised ethical concerns among both scientists and the public.
While the practice of gene editing is not new, a highly precise tool known as CRISPR/CAS 9 has revolutionized scientists’ ability to alter DNA. It led to an explosion of research and would-be applications for a wide range of human health issues since its development in 2012.
Human genome editing is already widely used in basic research and is in the early stages of development and testing for treatments that affect only individual patients, without affecting genes passed onto their offspring.