Genome-edited humans get green light from expert panel – Ars Technica

Editing the genomes of human embryos should be allowable to treat or prevent serious diseases and disabilitiesbut only amid stringent oversight and safety protocols and only if no reasonable alternatives existaccording to a reportreleased Tuesday by the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Medicine.

The expert panel22 of the worlds leading experts on genetics, bioethics, medicine, and lawis still completely opposed to such efforts. But amid new, powerful genome-editing tools, such as CRISPR/Cas9, the experts were forced to reconsider genome editings potential for good.

Human genome editing holds tremendous promise for understanding, treating, or preventing many devastating genetic diseases, and for improving treatment of many other illnesses, Alta Charo, co-chair of the panel and a professor of law and bioethics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said in a statement.

But critics say this endorsement may help legitimize irresponsible applications. This opens the door to advertisements from fertility clinics of giving your child the best start in life with a gene-editing packet, Marcy Darnovsky, executive director of the Center for Genetics and Society, a public interest group based in California, told The New York Times.

For now, the discussion is all theoretical. Though technology is advancing swiftly, real human applications and clinical trials are still years away. In the meantime, the panel recommends that policy makers foster public discussion and engagement on the issues to make sure that any new rules account for social, ethical, and legal considerations.

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Genome-edited humans get green light from expert panel - Ars Technica