‘If our genetic differences are part of what makes us human, do we have the right — or the responsibility — to change them?

Clea Simon | Harvard Gazette | May 2, 2025

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With CRISPR technology, scientists can now edit both somatic genes (from the body) and germline genes (from gametes, the sex cells that form embryos), literally clipping out and replacing parts of them. … If such changes were made in germline cells, the resulting embryo would never develop the disease at all.

But while curing [a painful disease like sickle cell] may seem like an unalloyed positive, the questions around gene editing raise many troubling ethical questions. “Should we be using CRISPR for diseases or syndromes that are compatible with life, like Down syndrome?” asked Baer. “Who is going to make those decisions?”

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[W]hat if two deaf parents want their child genetically modified to be able to hear? “Should parents make that decision for their child? Is it up to parents to decide what attributes their children should have?”

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