Improved CRISPR base editing shows safer embryo gene editing, but major ethical questions remain
By
Michael Le Page
If you only eat one bagel today, this is the bagel.
Summary
A US team has used an improved CRISPR technique called base editing to edit human embryos without introducing harmful mutations, marking a potential safety advance over the controversial 2018 Chinese experiment. However, the article notes that a major ethical and safety issue remains unresolved, suggesting that while the technical risks may be decreasing, the debate over gene-editing babies is far from settled.
Key quotes
· 3 pulledWhen a rogue researcher in China revealed in 2018 that he had used CRISPR to create three gene-edited children, his actions were almost universally condemned by biologists around the world.
The main objection was not that gene-editing babies is wrong in itself, but that the CRISPR technique used was not safe and had a very high risk of causing harmful mutations.
Now, a team in the US has used an improved form of CRISPR, known as base editing, to edit healthy embryos and shown that it can be done without introducing unwanted mutations.
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