Don't touch my embryo!

In a recent commentary in Nature, leading scientists in the field of genome editing warned against altering the genetic code of human embryos. The authors claim, and rightly so, that it is likely that we will see a great number of studies in the near future that have attempted to edit the embryo at the molecular level. With the advent of very advanced gene editing techniques, we have the power to alter the expression of genes at will, or knock them out completely. Okay, that's probably a gross oversimplification, but you get the picture!

via Shutterstock

The reasoning behind pursuing this technology makes sense. If a patient has a deleterious gene mutation that causes cancer, for example, just remove the gene and insert a healthy one. Easy, right? Indeed, this technique has been performed repeatedly in cells in vitro (in a test tube, glass dish, etc) and in some model organisms such as monkeys, but human beings are whole other ballgame. And as you can imagine, nothing in biology is quite that simple. Editing one gene could affect its interactions with other genes or edit the wrong genes, and these ramifications may not become apparent in entire humans until its too late.

Ethical conversations like this one are extremely important to the advancement of science. Just as our science should be used to inform the public, the public should be used to inform our scientific decisions. I am a very strong proponent of research into genetic modification, as these tools will be immensely powerful in combating the diseases of today and tomorrow. I also acknowledge, very strongly I might add, that this technology is in its very early infancy. Will changing the DNA of an embryo cause untold changes in the developed human? Yes? No? Maybe? The truth is that we just don't know for sure, and it will likely require years of intense research to find out the answer to that question.

I think it's very tempting for scientists to march forward with a disregard for what is ethical - we, of course, possess the technical knowledge to pursue such endeavors. To dismiss the ethical risks that are usually paired with scientific advancement, however, would also risk losing the trust that the public places in the scientific community. Thus, it is immensely important that these processes are transparent and that we are able to engage the public  in an active conversation, no matter the outcome.

I encourage you all to read the original commentary hyperlinked above. Keep an eye out for an increasing debate in the field of gene editing - it's going to get very interesting!