CRISPR Fixes Disease Gene In Viable Human Embryos

By Bio-IT World Staff

August 2, 2017 | An international team of researchers has used CRISPR–Cas9 gene editing to correct a disease-causing mutation in dozens of viable human embryos, according to Nature. The study represents a significant improvement in efficiency and accuracy over previous efforts.

The New York Times also reports that this research raises the prospect that gene editing may one day protect babies from a variety of hereditary conditions. “But the achievement is also an example of genetic engineering, once feared and unthinkable, and is sure to renew ethical concerns that some might try to design babies with certain traits, like greater intelligence or athleticism,” journalist Pam Belluck writes.

This news was also covered in MIT Technology Review, NPR.org, and STAT.