Scientists seek permission to edit the genes of human embryos

Just months after Chinese scientists caused an worldwide furore by saying they had genetically modified human embryos, Kathy Niakan, a stem cell scientist from London’s Francis Crick Institute, has asked the British government’s fertility regulator for a licence to carry out similar experiments.

[The rumors were true: Scientists edited the genomes of human embryos for the first time]. While the area of science could prove essential to developing effective treatments for certain conditions, some are seeking a ban on such efforts, citing concerns ranging from the religious to practical. Some expressed optimism and hope that such research could eventually lead to the eradication of genetic diseases from the face of the Earth. They fear misuse of such technology could lead to potentially unsafe treatments and “designer babies”.

The embryos were never destined for use in IVF, but there were concerns the work could be a slippery slope towards designer babies.

In April this year, Nature revealed that a Chinese team had, for the first time, reported using the CRISPR/Cas9 technique to edit the genomes of human embryos.

The researchers said that their study would only be aimed only at obtaining basic understanding of the genes human embryos need to develop.

Kathy Niakan, from The Francis Crick Institute in London and her colleagues have filed an application with the Human Fertilization and Embryology Authority (HFEA) for a license to perform genome editing on human embryos.

“We are fortunate to have good regulations in the United Kingdom that permit research with a licence, but not the implantation of any embryo that has had its genome modified”, he said.

The UK’s fertility watchdog confirmed it had received the application. Others were horrified – warning that genetically modifying humans is unsafe and could have devastating consequences on future generations of our race that no one can foresee.

They will, nevertheless, use British laws to determine whether DNA experiments on human embryos should be allowed or not. They say the field is moving too fast with the procedure threatening to move from research to clinical use without serious consideration of the implications.

The researchers want to use the technique to look at the earliest stages of human development, in the hope of better understanding why some women have miscarriages.

Michael Werner, executive director of the Alliance for Regenerative Medicine, a D.C.-based group that has been leading calls for a moratorium on the technology, called the research “highly premature”. The scientific community, she goes on to state, should be reassured that these experiments will be carried out under very rigorous regulations that would ensure high scientific and ethical standards. The technique has such great potential, he says, that “If you don’t do it, are you then responsible for not letting happen the benefits that it might have?”