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ANNOUNCEMENTS ( #ANN ) COMMENTARY ( #COMM ) CGS IN THE NEWS ( #MEDIA ) WHAT WE'RE READING ( #READ )

Do You Follow Surrogacy360?
Surrogacy360, a project of CGS, provides unbiased and comprehensive resources about the health, legal, and ethical issues surrounding international commercial surrogacy — information you won’t find elsewhere online. Follow our work on Facebook ( [link removed] ), Twitter ( [link removed] ), and Instagram! ( [link removed] )

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The “Geneva Statement” Calls for Course Correction on Heritable Genome Editing ( [link removed] )
Trends in Biotechnology has published an important new statement authored by a group of 21 influential social scientists, ethicists, life scientists, policy experts, and public interest advocates from around the world, including CGS’ Katie Hasson, Marcy Darnovsky, and Osagie K. Obasogie.

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Marcy Darnovsky Gives TEDx Talk ( [link removed] )
CGS Executive Director Marcy Darnovsky was an invited speaker at TEDxLagunaBlancaSchool 2020, where she told an audience of 600 about the risks of heritable human genome editing. Keep an eye on the CGS newsletter to see Marcy’s TEDx video!

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Katie Hasson to Participate in Doha Debates ( [link removed] )
CGS Program Director on Genetic Justice Katie Hasson will be on the stage in Qatar this March to debate the future of human heritable genome editing. Watch your inbox, or follow CGS on Twitter ( [link removed] ) and Facebook ( [link removed] ), for a link to the live debate, scheduled for March 11.

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CRISPR’s Twisted Tales: Clarifying Misconceptions about Heritable Genome Editing ( [link removed] )
Marcy Darnovsky and Katie Hasson, Perspectives in Biology and Medicine | Winter 2020
Widespread agreement about He Jiankui’s recklessness and dire ethical violations concealed deep fault lines among participants in the debate on heritable genome editing and revealed significant shortcomings in the discourse surrounding it.

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Gene-Edited 'Haves' and 'Have-nots' at Davos ( [link removed] )
Pete Shanks, Biopolitical Times | 02.10.2020
The Global Risks Report, prepared for this year’s World Economic Forum at Davos, added elite recognition to the alarms that CGS and many others have been sounding about human heritable genome editing. For grassroots activists and advocates, having our talking points repeated in such high-power settings is a good thing.

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Germline Modification Could Be New Frontier of Reproductive and Disability Oppression ( [link removed] )
Emily Galpern, Biopolitical Times | 01.30.2020
CGS and Black Women for Wellness have released an infographic and fact sheet articulating a reproductive justice perspective against human germline modification. Reproductive justice advocates are uniquely positioned to change the conversation about germline editing in mainstream media, public conversation, and policymaking.

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A Tipping Point for DNA Tests and Surveillance Technologies? ( [link removed] )
Pete Shanks, Biopolitical Times | 01.28.2020
23andMe is laying off 100 of its 700 staff, a decision made in the context of growing public concerns about privacy and corporate control and moves toward better regulation of these technologies.

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Genetic Justice: Identity and Equality in the Biotech Age ( [link removed] )
Katie Hasson and Mary Darnovsky, Development | 01.14.2020
The prevailing position on heritable genetic modification in international policy and human rights documents has been that, due to its numerous safety and social risks, it should be legally off limits. However, as genetic technologies merge with forensics, medicine, and human reproduction, renewed eugenic temptations are arising.

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Layoffs Result as Consumers Think Twice About DNA Testing ( [link removed] )
David Lazarus, Los Angeles Times | 01.15.2020
Consumers are getting wise to the fact that testing firms make additional money by sharing user data with drug companies and law enforcement. Says CGS Executive Director Marcy Darnovsky, “I wouldn’t take one of these tests.”

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Assisted Reproduction ( #1 ) | Genomics ( #2 ) | Heritable Genome Editing ( #3 ) | Stem Cells ( #6 )

ASSISTED REPRODUCTION

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Embryo Research To Reduce Need For In Vitro Fertilization Raises Ethical Concerns ( [link removed] )
Rob Stein, NPR | 01.15.2020
The study involved artificially inseminating women and extracting any resulting embryos for testing and potential future use in IVF treatments. While the procedure could eventually offer a simpler way for some couples to have healthy children, some scientists view the Mexico-based study—which paid the participants the local equivalent of two month’s wages—as unethical.

Should Germany’s Ban on Egg Donation Be Lifted? ( [link removed] )
DW | 01.02.2020
Germany is one of only four countries in central and western Europe where egg cell donation or surrogate motherhood is completely forbidden.

GENOMICS

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FamilyTreeDNA Admits to Sharing Genetic Data With F.B.I. ( [link removed] )
Matthew Haag, The New York Times | 02.04.2020
Unbeknown to its users, the company voluntarily agreed to open its database of more than two million records to the F.B.I. to identify suspects and victims of unsolved rapes and murders.

A Study Tried to Use Genetics to Explain Why People Are Poor ( [link removed] )
Dan Samorodnitsky, VICE | 01.24.2020
It is irresponsible to publish a paper on how genetics affects income without making any effort to reflect on how this kind of work has been used in the past to justify eugenic practices.

23andMe Laid Off 100 Employees Due to Slowing DNA Kit Sales ( [link removed] )
Rani Molla, Vox | 01.23.2020
The company said that a variety of factors, including privacy concerns, could have contributed to the slowing market.

DNA Collection at the Border Threatens the Privacy of All Americans ( [link removed] )
Daniel I. Morales, Natalie Ram, and Jessica L. Roberts, The New York Times | 01.23.2020
On January 6, the federal government began collecting DNA from any person in immigration custody, a step toward collecting and tracking large numbers of US citizens’ genetic information.

You Need a Good Reason to Curb Privacy. None Exists for Collecting DNA at the Border. ( [link removed] )
The Washington Post Editorial Board, The Washington Post | 01.11.2020
People who arrive at the border without documentation are likely to have DNA samples sent for indefinite storage in the FBI database with no mechanism to petition for their samples to be removed.

HERITABLE GENOME EDITING

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Should We Alter the Human Genome? Let Democracy Decide ( [link removed] )
Krishanu Saha, J. Benjamin Hurlbut & Sheila Jasanoff, Scientific American | 01.15.2020
Whether it is ever acceptable to genetically engineer future children is a question for humanity, not for science.

STEM CELLS

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Stem Cell Clinics’ Much-hyped Treatments Lack Scientific Support ( [link removed] )
Laura Beil, ScienceNews | 01.30.2020
Stem cells are billed as treatments for everything from autism to multiple sclerosis to baldness. The reality is, there’s not enough evidence to justify using stem cells for any of these conditions.

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