During the semester we feature a technology with potential legal, social and/or ethical implications and ask:
What’s YOUR answer?
One $25 Starbucks gift card awarded per challenge based on what we feel is the most judicious response to the highlighted technology, below.
Deadline to be eligible for this month’s Starbucks gift card is March 20,2017.
On February 14, 2017, the National Academies of Sciences (NAS) Engineering and Medicine released a report* on human gene editing. With regard to human germline gene editing, the NAS committee recommends “clinical research trials only for compelling purposes of treating or preventing serious disease or disabilities, and only if there is a stringent oversight system able to limit uses to specified criteria.” With regard to human enhancement gene editing, the committee’s recommendation is to “not proceed at this time with human genome editing for purposes other than treatment or prevention of disease and disability.” See more here and here.
What are some of the implications, legal and/or ethical, with respect to human gene editing for serious health conditions? Do you agree with the NAS committee’s recommendations? Why? Why not?
*You are not expected to read the full report.