New Human Genome Editing Recommendations Require Three "Heavy Lifts" for U.S.
Hastings Center research scholar Josephine Johnston responded to a new report from an international committee tasked with defining a pathway to using gene editing to change human cells in ways that can be passed down to future generations. While asserting that Crispr and other gene editing technologies area not yet safe to use in humans, the committee made a strong case for its eventual use by prospective parents “with a known risk of transmitting a genetic disease” or “with reduced fertility.” Writing in Stat News, Johnston called the recommendations “reasonable,” but said that the proposed preconditions for using heritable genome editing would pose significant challenges for U.S. health and technology policy. She identified three “heavy lifts for the U.S.”: the means to hold extensive societal dialogue, universal health care to assure equitable access, and a comprehensive regulatory structure to ensure the safety and ethics of heritable editing as part of reproductive medicine. Read the article.
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