A Yellow Light for Embryo Editing

Jocelyn Kaiser Science Feb 17,2017

Editing the DNA of a human embryo to prevent a disease in a baby could be ethically allowable one day—but only in rare circumstances and with safeguards in place, says a widely anticipated report released today.

The report from an international committee convened by the U.S. National Academy of Sciences (NAS) and the National Academy of Medicine in Washington, D.C., concludes that such a clinical trial “might be permitted, but …

Human Adult Stem Cells (iPS) Have Been Found to be Most Clinically Useful Human Cells for Therapeutic Purposes

Justo Aznar Bioethics Observatory Catholic University of Valencia

Human adult stem cells (iPS) have been found to be most clinically useful human cells for therapeutic purposes.

Pluripotent cells (PCs) are defined as those from which cells of different tissue types can be obtained. These can be obtained either from preimplantation human embryonic cells, in which case pluripotent embryonic stem cells are obtained, or from somatic (adult) cells that can be reprogrammed to a state of …

The Ethical Dilemma of Designer Babies

Genetically modified people is no longer a science fiction fantasy; it’s a likely future scenario. Biologist Paul Knoepfler estimates that within fifteen years, scientists could use the gene editing technology CRISPR to make certain “upgrades” to human embryos — from altering physical appearances to eliminating the risk of auto-immune diseases. In this thought-provoking talk, Knoepfler readies us for the coming designer baby revolution and its very personal, and unforeseeable, consequences.…

Ethicists Advise Caution in Applying CRISPR Gene Editing to Humans

February 14, 2017  By Joel Achenbach  The Washington Post

Ethicists have been working overtime to figure out how to handle CRISPR, the revolutionary gene-editing technique that could potentially prevent congenital diseases but could also be used for cosmetic enhancements and lead to permanent, heritable changes in the human species.

The latest iteration of this ongoing CRISPR debate is a report published Tuesday by the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Medicine. The …