The Obama administration says altering human genes for medical purposes is a “line that shouldn’t be crossed” right now.
It is important to examine the ethical implications of using new technologies to altar the human genome, John Holdren, director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, wrote Tuesday morning on the White House blog.
He wrote that until more is known about gene editing and how it could affect humans into the future, scientists should avoid gene-editing research, also known as “germline-editing.”
“The administration believes that altering the human germline for clinical purposes is a line that should not be crossed at this time,” Holdren wrote.
Holdren pointed to efforts in China, where some researchers have conducted ethically dubious genome-editing experiments to modify human embryos.
“Research along these lines raises serious and urgent questions about the potential implications for clinical applications that could lead to genetically altered humans,” he wrote.
The National Academy of Sciences has scheduled a meeting in the fall where researchers, ethicists and other experts will discuss the implications of human gene-editing for both research and the treatment of patients.
