scholarly journals Editor’s Choice: The technical risks of human gene editing

2019 ◽  
Vol 34 (11) ◽  
pp. e1-e1
Keyword(s):  
Gene Editing ◽  
Human Gene ◽  
Technical Risks

scholarly journals The technical risks of human gene editing

2019 ◽  
Vol 34 (11) ◽  
pp. 2104-2111 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benjamin Davies
Keyword(s):  
Genome Editing ◽  
Gene Editing ◽  
Human Gene ◽  
Ethical Concerns ◽  
Technical Risks ◽  
Genomic Mutation ◽  
Cas Gene

Abstract A recent report from Dr He Jiankui concerning the birth of twin girls harbouring mutations engineered by CRISPR/Cas nucleases has been met with international condemnation. Beside the serious ethical concerns, there are known technical risks associated with CRISPR/Cas gene editing which further raise questions about how these events could have been allowed to occur. Numerous studies have reported unexpected genomic mutation and mosaicism following the use of CRISPR/Cas nucleases, and it is currently unclear how prevalent these disadvantageous events are and how robust and sensitive the strategies to detect these unwanted events may be. Although Dr Jiankui’s study appears to have involved certain checks to ascertain these risks, the decision to implant the manipulated embryos, given these unknowns, must nonetheless be considered reckless. Here I review the technical concerns surrounding genome editing and consider the available data from Dr Jiankui in this context. Although the data remains unpublished, preventing a thorough assessment of what was performed, it seems clear that the rationale behind the undertaking was seriously flawed; the procedures involved substantial technical risks which, when added to the serious ethical concerns, fully justify the widespread criticism that the events have received.

scholarly journals Is Enhancement the Price of Prevention in Human Gene Editing?

2018 ◽  
Vol 1 (6) ◽  
pp. 351-354 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric T. Juengst ◽  
Gail E. Henderson ◽  
Rebecca L. Walker ◽  
John M. Conley ◽  
Douglas MacKay ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Editing ◽  
Human Gene

The CRISPR Era, the National Academies Report, and the Median Trait Barrier

2020 ◽  
pp. 67-110
Author(s):  
John H. Evans
Keyword(s):  
Detailed Analysis ◽  
Gene Editing ◽  
Human Gene ◽  
Ethical Response ◽  
Strong Barrier

This chapter begins with the discovery of human gene editing, and how the immediate ethical response used the existing weakened barriers. The chapter then turns to a detailed analysis of how an influential report by the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine advocated taking down the somatic/germline barrier. The replacement barrier proposed by the National Academies is deemed unstable, and in its place this chapter describes a strong barrier located at the median trait in a population. That is, people could modify their children to take them up to the median value on any trait but not above the median. This would satisfy the dominant contemporary value of justice or fairness, which would require the genetically disadvantaged to overcome their disadvantage, but not allow anyone to use genetics to gain advantage over others.

scholarly journals Tighten up Mexico’s regulations on human gene editing

Nature ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 566 (7745) ◽  
pp. 455-455 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guillermo Aquino-Jarquin
Keyword(s):  
Gene Editing ◽  
Human Gene

scholarly journals The CRISPR-baby scandal: what’s next for human gene-editing

Nature ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 566 (7745) ◽  
pp. 440-442 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Cyranoski
Keyword(s):  
Gene Editing ◽  
Human Gene
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