‘CRISPR babies’ are still too risky, says influential panel

‘CRISPR babies’ are still too risky, says influential panel

Panel says ‘CRISPR babies’ are still too risky

Gene editing in human embryos could one day prevent some parents from passing on serious genetic disorders to their offspring — but only in rare circumstances should it be considered. And for now, the technique has not been shown to be safe or effective to use at all. That’s the conclusion of an expert panel, convened by the US National Academy of Medicine, the US National Academy of Sciences and the UK Royal Society, which has released a report about heritable human-genome editing. The group was formed following the shock announcement from genomics researcher He Jiankui who reported in November 2018 that he had created the first ‘CRISPR babies’.

Nature | 5 min read
Read more: CRISPR babies: when will the world be ready? (Nature | 14 min read, from 2019)Reference: Heritable Human Genome Editing report