ABSTRACT
As public interest advocates, policy experts, bioethicists, and scientists, we call for a course correction in public discussions about heritable human genome editing. Clarifying misrepresentations, centering societal consequences and concerns, and fostering public empowerment will support robust, global public engagement and meaningful deliberation about altering the genes of future generations.
Subject(s)
Gene Editing/ethics , Genome, Human/genetics , Bioethical Issues , Embryo, Mammalian , Germ Cells , HumansABSTRACT
'Mitochondrial replacement' and 'germline gene editing' are relatively new techniques that represent a significant moral, technological, and legal threshold, as they would introduce permanent and heritable changes to the human gene pool. This article examines the close relationship between these two technologies over time, considering what regulatory lessons can be learned from the former as attention turns to the latter. It argues that the UK's 'mitochondrial replacement' approval process should not be taken as a model for the wider regulation of germline gene editing, and that policy-making needs to contend with a comprehensive picture of the social and political meaning of these technologies in the world.
