Build-a-Baby: Is Human Gene Editing “Morally Permissible”?
Scientists have been exploring what’s known as gene editing for years, but the idea of editing a baby’s genes so that they inherit the best possible traits is considered extremely controversial in the medical community. Advocates say this technology could be used to prevent genetic diseases like cancer by essentially switching out a part of a person’s DNA, but opponents say it could exacerbate existing health inequalities.
What is Gene Editing?
Researchers have been studying ways to edit a person’s DNA for years. This technology first came around towards the end of the 20th Century, but things quickly heated up in 2009 when researchers first invented the technology known as CRISPR, which made it much cheaper and easier to edit a person’s genes. It’s also considered more accurate than previous methods, giving scientists the freedom to select which parts of the DNA they want to replace, edit, or remove.