Embryo editing divides scientists

摘要

Research that uses powerful gene-editing techniques on human embryos needs to be restricted, scientists agree - but they are split over why. Some say that if safety fears can be allayed, such applications could have a bright future, and could help to eradicate devastating diseases. Others say that modifying the DNA of embryos, which means that the changes could be passed on to future generations, is an ethical line that should not be crossed. The concerns are laid out in an article published in Nature on 12 March and in one expected to appear in Science, amid suspicions that scientists have already edited the genes of human embryos.