The move raises the question of whether regulations are strict enough in the U.S. Both Congress and the National Institutes of Health have explicitly said they would not fund research that uses gene-editing to alter embryos. But laws and guidelines are not keeping pace with this fast-moving and controversial work.
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Despite potential of CRISPR to cure fatal diseases, the technology has fast become one of the most significant challenges for bioethicists. Some people view its power as potentially dangerous because it could allow scientists to cherry-pick genetic traits to create so-called designer babies.
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CRISPR technology isn’t ready for clinical use, whether to stop serious genetic diseases or simply make brown eyes blue. But geneticists are working toward these goals, and the scientific community is ill-prepared to regulate this potentially powerful technology.
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So far guidelines for using CRISPR are minimal…But although the NIH won’t back CRISPR research for embryo editing, that doesn’t mean such research is prohibited in the U.S. Private organizations and donors fund researchers.
The GLP aggregated and excerpted this blog/article to reflect the diversity of news, opinion, and analysis. Read full, original post: Gene Editing Is Revolutionizing Medicine But Causing a Government Ethics Nightmare
