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On the Soapbox: Designing Babies - Medical, Ethical, and Social Questions
Session Chair(s)
Robert Klitzman, MD
Professor of Clinical Psychiatry; Director, Masters of Bioethics Program
Columbia University, United States
New gene editing technology known as “clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats” or CRISPR can alter the genes of cells, including embryos, changing the organism and its descendants, and raising critical ethical, legal, and social concerns. First discovered in 2014, scientists have rapidly used this technology in many species. This technique can also alter genes in microorganisms to create superbugs, and in 2016, the Pentagon listed it as a weapon of mass destruction. In 2018, a Chinese researcher stated that he had edited human embryos and transferred them into a womb, producing twin girls. Yet CRISPR can have ‘off-target’ effects, accidentally eliminating additional DNA, and genes may have multiple, unknown functions. In March 2019, scientists recommended a moratorium on transfer of altered embryos into wombs, and a registry of all CRISPR trials. Questions remain, however of how long such a moratorium should last, when it should end, who should decide, based on what criteria, whether all nations and researchers will agree, and what should be done if non-compliance occurs. Questions emerge of when CRISPR will be “safe enough” for initial research studies, and later for broader clinical use. The first human offspring may need to be followed through adulthood and the birth of their own children. This talk will explore these critical challenges, related to ethical principles of autonomy, risks, benefits and social justice, and how these questions might best be addressed.