

The Unpredictable Era of Editing Human Embryos - dnetesn
http://nautil.us/blog/welcome-to-the-unpredictable-era-of-editing-human-embryos

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tomkinstinch
A heavy-hitting list of authors recently put forth[1] the following
recommendations regarding human germline genome editing (verbatim from
_Science_ ):

"In the near term, we recommend that steps be taken to:

1) Strongly discourage, even in those countries with lax jurisdictions where
it might be permitted, any attempts at germline genome modification for
clinical application in humans, while societal, environmental, and ethical
implications of such activity are discussed among scientific and governmental
organizations. (In countries with a highly developed bioscience capacity,
germline genome modification in humans is currently illegal or tightly
regulated.) This will enable pathways to responsible uses of this technology,
if any, to be identified.

2) Create forums in which experts from the scientific and bioethics
communities can provide information and education about this new era of human
biology, the issues accompanying the risks and rewards of using such powerful
technology for a wide variety of applications including the potential to treat
or cure human genetic disease, and the attendant ethical, social, and legal
implications of genome modification.

3) Encourage and support transparent research to evaluate the efficacy and
specificity of CRISPR-Cas9 genome engineering technology in human and nonhuman
model systems relevant to its potential applications for germline gene
therapy. Such research is essential to inform deliberations about what
clinical applications, if any, might in the future be deemed permissible.

4) Convene a globally representative group of developers and users of genome
engineering technology and experts in genetics, law, and bioethics, as well as
members of the scientific community, the public, and relevant government
agencies and interest groups, to further consider these important issues, and
where appropriate, recommend policies."

1\.
[http://www.sciencemag.org/content/348/6230/36.full](http://www.sciencemag.org/content/348/6230/36.full)
Baltimore, David, et al. _A prudent path forward for genomic engineering and
germline gene modification_. _Science_ 3 April 2015: 348 (6230),
36-38.Published online 19 March 2015 [DOI:10.1126/science.aab1028]

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jkot
Perhaps better name would be 'gene transplant'. It is not creating new gene,
but replacing one gene with another gene, which is known to work. Both genes
are natural and occur in other people. And we know that particular sequence
works well for 99.99999% of population who have it.

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jerf
Relevant other story from today:
[http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/alzheimer-s-
origin...](http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/alzheimer-s-origins-tied-
to-rise-of-human-intelligence/)

I almost had a post here about how we might be able to easily fix defects, but
the more I learn about genetics the less concerned I am about immediately
churning out "superbabies". But then hours later, this article comes along to
point out that even "fixing defects" could have unanticipated negative side
effects....

