Another scientist is editing genes in human embryos, but ethically this time
6 years, 1 month ago

Another scientist is editing genes in human embryos, but ethically this time

Firstpost  

So far, the Columbia University scientist has allowed modified embryos to live no longer than one day. While the Columbia University scientist, Dr Dieter Egli, isn’t creating any genetically-modified babies or implanting these gene-edited embryos into mothers, he admits that the ultimate goal of his future research is probably just that. Egli is a developmental biologist currently working on genetically-modified embryos “for research purposes only.” He wants to find our whether CRISPR gene editing technology is a safe way to repair mutations in embryos. Egli’s research is focussed on fixing a genetic defect called retinitis pigmentosa, an inherited form of blindness, in embryos. “If we’ve learned anything from what’s happened in China, it’s that the urge to race ahead pushes science to shoot first and ask questions later,” J Benjamin Hurlbut, an associate professor of biology and society at Arizona State University, told NPR.

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History of this topic

The controversial scientist He Jiankui hasn’t given up on gene-edited babies
3 weeks, 6 days ago

The controversial scientist He Jiankui hasn’t given up on gene-edited babies

The Economist  

T he world was shocked in 2018 when He Jiankui, a Chinese biophysicist, announced that he had helped to produce two girls whose genetic code he had edited when they had been embryos. Scientists around the world condemned the work as wildly premature and possibly dangerous—the Chinese authorities agreed and Dr He was imprisoned for three years. And he still …

Guideline sets ethical rules for human genome editing research
8 months, 2 weeks ago

Guideline sets ethical rules for human genome editing research

China Daily  

China on Wednesday released a guideline that lays out a set of ethical rules for human genome editing research. Regarding clinical research involving genome editing of somatic cells — which are cells in the body other than sperm and egg cells, it said that such research should be aimed at preventing or treating diseases and should be carried out after …

Disgraced Chinese scientist He Jiankui who was jailed in 2019 for genetically editing human babies is back in the lab - and claims he's 'proud' of his past work
11 months, 3 weeks ago

Disgraced Chinese scientist He Jiankui who was jailed in 2019 for genetically editing human babies is back in the lab - and claims he's 'proud' of his past work

Daily Mail  

A disgraced Chinese scientist who was jailed for genetically editing human babies reveals he has returned to genetic research. He Jiankui has announced he has returned to the lab after being jailed for genetically editing human babies Dr He says that he intends to develop gene editing techniques for the treatment of rare diseases such as Duchenne muscular dystrophy and …

For man behind gene-edited babies, a rocky return to science
2 years ago

For man behind gene-edited babies, a rocky return to science

Associated Press  

Five years ago, scientist He Jiankui shocked his peers and the world with claims that he created the first genetically edited babies. Given He’s ambition,“I wouldn’t be surprised that a few years down the line if the opportunity arises, that he would go back” to that sort of work, said Dr. Samira Kiani, a genetic engineer and researcher at the …

Documentary spurs a new look at the case of the first gene-edited babies
2 years, 2 months ago

Documentary spurs a new look at the case of the first gene-edited babies

Salon  

In the four years since an experiment by disgraced scientist He Jiankui resulted in the birth of the first babies with edited genes, numerous articles, books and international commissions have reflected on whether and how heritable genome editing – that is, modifying genes that will be passed on to the next generation – should proceed. Creation of the 'CRISPR babies' …

CRISPR gene editing can cause unwanted changes in human embryos, study finds
4 years, 4 months ago

CRISPR gene editing can cause unwanted changes in human embryos, study finds

Firstpost  

Instead of addressing genetic mutations, the CRISPR-Cas9 technology appeared to wreak genetic havoc in about half the specimens that the researchers examined A powerful gene-editing tool called CRISPR-Cas9, which this month nabbed the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for two female scientists, can cause serious side effects in the cells of human embryos, prompting them to discard large chunks of their …

Lab tests show risks of using CRISPR gene editing on embryos
4 years, 4 months ago

Lab tests show risks of using CRISPR gene editing on embryos

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy A lab experiment aimed at …

Lab tests show risks of using CRISPR gene editing on embryos
4 years, 4 months ago

Lab tests show risks of using CRISPR gene editing on embryos

Associated Press  

A lab experiment aimed at fixing defective DNA in human embryos shows what can go wrong with this type of gene editing and why leading scientists say it’s too unsafe to try. “If our results had been known two years ago, I doubt that anyone would have gone ahead” and tried it on embryos intended for pregnancy, said biologist Dieter …

Too Soon to Give Green Signal to Techniques of Genome Editing for Human Embryo, Say Scientists
4 years, 6 months ago

Too Soon to Give Green Signal to Techniques of Genome Editing for Human Embryo, Say Scientists

News 18  

Techniques to genetically-edit human embryos should not be used until they are proved to be reliable and safe, an international commission said Thursday, in the wake of a scandal over gene-modified babies in China two years ago. Experts from the commission of the US National Academy of Medicine, US National Academy of Sciences, and Britain’s Royal Society said heritable genome …

Still too soon to try altering human embryo DNA, panel says
4 years, 6 months ago

Still too soon to try altering human embryo DNA, panel says

Associated Press  

It’s still too soon to try to make genetically edited babies because the science isn’t advanced enough to ensure safety, says an international panel of experts who also mapped a pathway for any countries that want to consider it. If drugs or gene therapy after birth can treat a disease, “then it doesn’t make sense to me to layer the …

It’s still too soon to try altering the DNA of human embryos, scientific panel says
4 years, 6 months ago

It’s still too soon to try altering the DNA of human embryos, scientific panel says

LA Times  

It’s still too soon to try to genetically edited human embryos because the science isn’t advanced enough to ensure safety, according to a report by an international panel of experts who also mapped a pathway for any countries that want to consider it. Thursday’s report comes nearly two years after a Chinese scientist shocked the world by revealing he’d helped …

Scientists claim to have uses CRISPR for the first time to treat a patient who was blind
5 years ago

Scientists claim to have uses CRISPR for the first time to treat a patient who was blind

Firstpost  

They said that it will take up to a month to see if this surgery worked and has restored the patient’s vision. Scientists say they have used the gene-editing tool CRISPR inside someone’s body for the first time, a new frontier for efforts to operate on DNA, the chemical code of life, to treat diseases. “We think it could open …

The World Health Organization Says No More Gene-Edited Babies
55 years, 2 months ago

The World Health Organization Says No More Gene-Edited Babies

Wired  

The world’s largest public health authority has weighed in with the most authoritative statement yet on the use of Crispr to alter the DNA of human babies. Eight months after a rogue Chinese scientist revealed he had secretly created the world’s first gene-edited children, the World Health Organization is asking countries to put a stop to any experiments that would …

A Russian Biologist Wants To Create More Gene-Edited Babies
5 years, 9 months ago

A Russian Biologist Wants To Create More Gene-Edited Babies

NPR  

A Russian Biologist Wants To Create More Gene-Edited Babies Enlarge this image toggle caption Gregor Fischer/picture alliance via Getty Images Gregor Fischer/picture alliance via Getty Images A Russian scientist says he wants to create more genetically modified babies, flouting international objections that such a step would be premature, unethical and irresponsible. We demonstrated it's safe to use," says Rebrikov, who …

2 Chinese Babies With Edited Genes May Face Higher Risk Of Premature Death
5 years, 9 months ago

2 Chinese Babies With Edited Genes May Face Higher Risk Of Premature Death

NPR  

2 Chinese Babies With Edited Genes May Face Higher Risk Of Premature Death Enlarge this image toggle caption Anthony Kwan/Bloomberg/Getty Images Anthony Kwan/Bloomberg/Getty Images There are new concerns about the world's first genetically modified babies. "I think we should always be concerned about unanticipated consequences of any new technology, not just gene-editing and embryos," says George Church, a professor of …

Gene-edited babies: Chinese scientist was told ‘not to proceed’
6 years, 2 months ago

Gene-edited babies: Chinese scientist was told ‘not to proceed’

CNN  

CNN — As 2018 drew to a close, one scientist unveiled research that entered a new era of science. Everyone he talked to – which was not many people – had said “don’t go there,” “don’t do it,” explained Robin Lovell-Badge of the UK research facility the Francis Crick Institute, who organized the scientific summit in Hong Kong during which …

Screening the human future: YouTube, persuasion and genetically engineered children
6 years, 3 months ago

Screening the human future: YouTube, persuasion and genetically engineered children

Salon  

On Sunday, Nov. 25, the scientist He Jiankui claimed the birth of the world’s first genetically engineered children: twins, created by IVF, their DNA altered at fertilization. Instead of “CRISPR-Cas9,” the common name, he insists on the phrase “gene surgery.” It’s a naked attempt to make CRISPR sound precise, like a molecular scalpel. CRISPR is improving in accuracy, but as …

Gene editing experts discuss whether controversy is rushing the still-young technology
6 years, 3 months ago

Gene editing experts discuss whether controversy is rushing the still-young technology

Firstpost  

A Chinese scientist’s stunning claim he has pioneered the world’s first genetically modified baby has suddenly made the eternal debate over ethics and emerging scientific capabilities pressing and real. “It’s obvious that everything that is technically feasible is not ethically desirable,” said Cynthia Fleury, a member of the French Ethics Committee. “Trying to rush the technology” The concern of the …

What are the ethics of baby gene-editing?
6 years, 3 months ago

What are the ethics of baby gene-editing?

India Today  

Paris, Dec 1 A Chinese scientist's stunning claim he has pioneered the world's first genetically modified baby has suddenly made the eternal debate over ethics and emerging scientific capabilities pressing and real. "It's obvious that everything that is technically feasible is not ethically desirable," said Cynthia Fleury, a member of the French Ethics Committee. "Trying to rush the technology forwards, …

CRISPR: The genetic editing tool that holds promise & peril
6 years, 3 months ago

CRISPR: The genetic editing tool that holds promise & peril

Live Mint  

Chinese researcher He Jiankui has claimed that he used CRISPR to produce the world’s first “designer babies”. Jiankui said he used CRISPR—Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats—to alter the genes of a pair of twins while they were embryos to make the babies resistant to HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. In 2017, a US science and medicine advisory group …

Genetics Summit waits for Chinese baby-editing researcher to take the stage
6 years, 3 months ago

Genetics Summit waits for Chinese baby-editing researcher to take the stage

Firstpost  

This is a great blow to China’s reputation & development of biomedical research: Chinese scientists. ‘Immediate investigation’ Qiu Renzong, formerly the vice president of the Chinese Ministry of Health’s ethics committee, told reporters at the gene editing conference that lax regulations in China mean that scientists who break the rules often face no punishment, and think of the ministry as …

China baby gene-editing scientist defends his research, raises possibility of third embryo
6 years, 3 months ago

China baby gene-editing scientist defends his research, raises possibility of third embryo

CNN  

Hong Kong CNN — The Chinese scientist who sparked an international outcry after alleging to have helped create the world’s first genetically edited babies has raised the possibility of a third child being born, after announcing that a separate woman was pregnant at an early stage with a modified embryo. He said his research has been submitted to a scientific …

Facing Backlash, Chinese Scientist Defends Gene-Editing Research On Babies
6 years, 3 months ago

Facing Backlash, Chinese Scientist Defends Gene-Editing Research On Babies

NPR  

Facing Backlash, Chinese Scientist Defends Gene-Editing Research On Babies Enlarge this image toggle caption Kin Cheung/AP Kin Cheung/AP Updated at 6:15 a.m. Enlarge this image toggle caption Kin Cheung/AP Kin Cheung/AP She spoke after Harvard Medical School Dean George Daley alluded to He's claims as "missteps" that he worried might set back a highly promising field of research. "Just because …

Inventor of CRISPR calls for a global moratorium on gene-edited embryos, humans
6 years, 3 months ago

Inventor of CRISPR calls for a global moratorium on gene-edited embryos, humans

Firstpost  

The risks of such an experiment are still far greater than its benefits, Zhang said in a statement. A Harvard and MIT member, renowned genetic research Feng Zhang made the statement after a Chinese researcher claimed having helped create the world’s first babies with modified genes using CRISPR. The researcher claiming to have contributed to the success of the gene-editing …

Scientists, officials in China abhor gene editing that geneticist claims
6 years, 3 months ago

Scientists, officials in China abhor gene editing that geneticist claims

Live Mint  

Beijing/Shanghai: Chinese officials and scientists denounced on Tuesday the claims of a geneticist who said he had created the first gene-edited babies, and a hospital linked to his research suggested its ethical approval had been forged. China’s Genetics Society and the Chinese Society for Stem Cell Research said in a statement He had acted as an “individual” and his work …

World's first CRISPR gene-edited babies claimed by Chinese researcher as success
6 years, 3 months ago

World's first CRISPR gene-edited babies claimed by Chinese researcher as success

Firstpost  

Society will decide what to do next in terms of allowing or forbidding such science: Researcher. It’s “unconscionable … an experiment on human beings that is not morally or ethically defensible,” said Dr Kiran Musunuru, a University of Pennsylvania gene editing expert and editor of a genetics journal. It’s a big deal.” However, one famed geneticist, Harvard University’s George Church, …

Gene-edited baby claim sparks outrage
6 years, 3 months ago

Gene-edited baby claim sparks outrage

The Hindu  

More than 100 scientists, most of them in China, have condemned as “crazy” and unethical a geneticist's claim that he altered the genes of twin girls born this month to create the first gene-edited babies. China's National Health Commission said on Monday it was ”highly concerned” and had ordered provincial health officials “to immediately investigate and clarify the matter”. The …

China orders probe into first ‘gene-edited babies’
6 years, 3 months ago

China orders probe into first ‘gene-edited babies’

Al Jazeera  

Scientists denounce claims by Chinese geneticist as concerns are raised about its safety and ethics. We still might have a glimmer of hope to close it before it's too late by Scientists say in an open letter The government’s medical ethics committee in Shenzhen said it was investigating the case, as was the Guangdong provincial health commission, according to Southern …

Q&A on scientist’s bombshell claim of gene-edited babies
6 years, 3 months ago

Q&A on scientist’s bombshell claim of gene-edited babies

Associated Press  

Designer babies might be here sooner than anyone reckoned. “This is probably the worst gene you would choose” to test in pregnancy because it doesn’t fix a disease the children were destined to get, said Shoukhrat Mitalipov of the Oregon Health & Science University, who in laboratory-only experiments studies how to repair gene defects in embryos. The researcher said he …

Chinese researcher claims first gene-edited babies
6 years, 3 months ago

Chinese researcher claims first gene-edited babies

Associated Press  

HONG KONG — A Chinese researcher claims that he helped make the world’s first genetically edited babies — twin girls born this month whose DNA he said he altered with a powerful new tool capable of rewriting the very blueprint of life. It’s a big deal.” However, one famed geneticist, Harvard University’s George Church, defended attempting gene editing for HIV, …

Chinese scientist claims world’s first gene-edited babies; hospital casts doubt
6 years, 3 months ago

Chinese scientist claims world’s first gene-edited babies; hospital casts doubt

CNN  

Hong Kong CNN — The Chinese government has ordered an “immediate investigation” into the alleged delivery of the world’s first genetically edited babies, as experts worldwide voiced outrage at such use of the technology. But in a statement posted Tuesday morning, China’s National Health Commission said that it had “immediately requested the Guangdong Provincial Health Commission to seriously investigate and …

Q&A: Why geneticists say it’s wrong to edit the DNA of embryos to protect them against HIV
6 years, 3 months ago

Q&A: Why geneticists say it’s wrong to edit the DNA of embryos to protect them against HIV

LA Times  

An embryo receives a small dose of gene-editing proteins and RNA in a sperm injection microscope in a Shenzhen laboratory. Chinese scientist He Jiankui of Shenzhen Harmonicare Women’s and Children’s Hospital revealed that he had edited the DNA in a pair of human embryos, disabling a gene required for HIV infection to take hold. He Jiankui’s claim that he helped …

Editing our genes
6 years, 5 months ago

Editing our genes

The Hindu  

American biochemist Jennifer Doudna, one of the pioneers of the gene editing tool Crispr-Cas9, woke up in a cold sweat after she dreamt of Adolf Hitler. In the book she co-authored, A Crack in Creation: Gene Editing and the Unthinkable Power to Control Evolution, Doudna recounts the dream, and acknowledges the “truly incredible power” of the technology, “one that could …

Why the Gene Editors of Tomorrow Need to Study Ethics Today
6 years, 6 months ago

Why the Gene Editors of Tomorrow Need to Study Ethics Today

Wired  

Two years after biochemist Jennifer Doudna helped introduce the world to the gene-editing tool known as Crispr, a 14-year-old from New Jersey turned it loose on a petri dish full of lung cancer cells, disrupting their ability to multiply. “In high school, I was all on the Crispr bandwagon,” says Jiwoo Lee, who won top awards at the 2016 Intel …

Designer babies: Picking traits for non-medical reasons could be 'morally permissible', says UK ethics group
6 years, 8 months ago

Designer babies: Picking traits for non-medical reasons could be 'morally permissible', says UK ethics group

The Independent  

Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Get our free Health Check email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Letting parents use new gene-editing technology to pick characteristics of their …

If you could edit your child's genes, would you?
7 years, 6 months ago

If you could edit your child's genes, would you?

Salon  

In early August, Nature reported that an international group of scientists used CRISPR–Cas9 gene editing technology to correct a mutation in the DNA in human embryos. Recently on Salon Talks, Dr. Alan Copperman, the director of the division of reproductive endocrinology and infertility at Mount Sinai Medical Center, laid out both the science and the ethical considerations. It’s Clustered Regularly …

Editing ourselves: On genes and ethics
7 years, 7 months ago

Editing ourselves: On genes and ethics

The Hindu  

Scientists have for the first time managed to edit genes in a human embryo to repair a genetic mutation, fuelling hopes that such procedures may one day be available outside laboratory conditions. In an attempt to remove the small portion of mutation, the researchers injected sperm of a man affected by hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and the gene-editing tool called CRISPR-Cas9, that …

Here’s where experts say we should draw the line on gene-editing experiments on human embryos
7 years, 7 months ago

Here’s where experts say we should draw the line on gene-editing experiments on human embryos

LA Times  

A day after a blockbuster report that researchers had edited harmful genetic mutations out of human embryos in an Oregon lab, an international group of genetics experts urged scientists against taking the next step. In the Nature study, researchers created human embryos with a mutation in the MYBPC3 gene that causes an often fatal condition called inherited hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. The …

For first time ever, scientists are able to edit DNA in human embryos through CRISPR technique!
7 years, 7 months ago

For first time ever, scientists are able to edit DNA in human embryos through CRISPR technique!

India TV News  

In a recent breakthrough, US scientists have been able to modify genes of a human embryo to correct a disease-causing mutation. "We have demonstrated the possibility to correct mutations in a human embryo in a safe way and with a certain degree of efficiency," said Juan Carlos Izpisua Belmonte, a professor in Salk's Gene Expression Laboratory and a co-author of …

Science Says: Gene editing widely used in range of research
7 years, 7 months ago

Science Says: Gene editing widely used in range of research

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — Gene editing is getting fresh attention thanks to a successful lab experiment with human embryos. _____ WHAT IS GENE EDITING While scientists have long been able to find defective genes, fixing them has been so cumbersome that it’s slowed development of genetic therapies. There are several gene editing methods, but a tool called CRISPR-Cas9 has sparked a boom …

Human embryo editing breakthrough is a ‘major advance’ towards controversial treatments for babies
7 years, 7 months ago

Human embryo editing breakthrough is a ‘major advance’ towards controversial treatments for babies

The Independent  

Sign up to our free weekly IndyTech newsletter delivered straight to your inbox Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. “Every generation on would carry this repair because we’ve removed the disease-causing gene variant from that family’s …

Scientists edit disease-causing gene mutation in human embryos
7 years, 7 months ago

Scientists edit disease-causing gene mutation in human embryos

CNN  

Story highlights In first-of-its-kind study, scientists describe correcting a gene mutation tied to genetic heart conditions The researchers say they could face political barriers when it comes to further studies CNN — Scientists are getting one step closer to snipping inherited genetic diseases out of human offspring using a gene-editing technique called CRISPR. For the first time, scientists said, they …

Scientists Precisely Edit DNA In Human Embryos To Fix A Disease Gene
7 years, 7 months ago

Scientists Precisely Edit DNA In Human Embryos To Fix A Disease Gene

NPR  

Scientists Precisely Edit DNA In Human Embryos To Fix A Disease Gene Enlarge this image toggle caption Courtesy of OHSU Courtesy of OHSU Scientists have been tinkering with the DNA in humans and other living things for decades. "If irresponsible scientists are not stopped, the world may soon be presented with a fait accompli of the first baby," says David …

Scientists edit human genes for the first time ever in the US
7 years, 7 months ago

Scientists edit human genes for the first time ever in the US

The Independent  

Sign up to our free weekly IndyTech newsletter delivered straight to your inbox Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Scientists have genetically engineered a human embryo for the first time in the …

Report: Scientists edit human embryos for first time in US
7 years, 7 months ago

Report: Scientists edit human embryos for first time in US

CNN  

Story highlights A first in the US, scientists reportedly edit the genes of human embryos using CRISPR Yet the research hasn't been published and researchers remain tight-lipped CNN — America reportedly has moved ahead in a controversial race to tinker with human DNA – but the scientific feat is shrouded in unanswered questions. “I’m not surprised that they were looking …

An unedited mutation
8 years ago

An unedited mutation

The Hindu  

Whenever there’s progress in the field of genetics, there’s cause for worry. It can be used to target specific stretches of genetic code and to edit DNA at precise locations, permanently modify genes in living cells and organisms, and possibly correct disease-causing mutations. According to the New Scientist, the team has corrected genetic mutations in a few cells in three …

U.S. Scientists Urge 'Serious Consideration' Of Gene Editing In Human Embryos
8 years, 1 month ago

U.S. Scientists Urge 'Serious Consideration' Of Gene Editing In Human Embryos

Huff Post  

Science Photo Library - ZEPHYR via Getty Images CHICAGO - Powerful gene editing tools may one day be used on human embryos, eggs and sperm to remove genes that cause inherited diseases, according to a report by U.S. scientists and ethicists released on Tuesday. The report from the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Medicine said scientific …

To prevent serious medical conditions, scientists should be able to edit people’s DNA, panel says
8 years, 1 month ago

To prevent serious medical conditions, scientists should be able to edit people’s DNA, panel says

LA Times  

Scientists should be allowed to alter a person’s DNA in ways that will be passed on to future generations, but only to prevent serious and strongly heritable diseases, according to a new report from the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Medicine. As such, the National Academies’ report acknowledges that changing heritable DNA in eggs, sperm and …

Trends 2017: How Gene-Editing Tech Crispr Holds Great Promise and Peril for Humanity
8 years, 2 months ago

Trends 2017: How Gene-Editing Tech Crispr Holds Great Promise and Peril for Humanity

Wired  

Biologists worldwide have fallen in love with Crispr for its rapid, efficient gene-editing powers. The Crispr startup Editas Medicine expects to launch its first clinical trial, for a congenital eye disease that causes blindness, this year. And the US National Institutes of Health has already approved the first wide-scale trial of a Crispr-based cancer treatment: Scientists at the University of …

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