UK Ethics Council Says Genetic Engineering of Children Permissible

“The Nuffield Council on Bioethics, a UK-based independent charitable body located in London, has seen fit to grant a green light to the use of gene-editing technology to alter the characteristics of unborn children. The bioethics council stated that there was nothing objectionable about the use of DNA altering technology that enables parents to give their child certain characteristics, with a few major caveats. The council says that the DNA is only ‘morally permissible’ if it doesn’t exacerbate already existing social inequalities. The report released by the Nuffield Council on Bioethics, titled ‘Genome Editing and Human Reproduction: Social and Ethical Issues’, says only that the use of DNA editing technology could be ‘morally permissible’ and urges a larger conversation on the issue along with much more research into the effectiveness and safety of the technology, as well as the potential social impact of the technology. The report does not call for any changes to current UK law that would make the altering of a child’s DNA legal, merely stating that the use of such technology is not inherently immoral. Currently, any modified embryo has to be destroyed by the time the embryo is two weeks of age, and similar restrictions are found in the US. Karen Yeung, the chair of the NCB [explains] that the first uses of genome editing technology will likely be used to eliminate the risk of certain diseases and genetic disorders. However, in time the technology will become more sophisticated and likely become available for use to parents who want to achieve a wider range of goals. The NCB report makes direct reference to germline modifications. Germline modifications are those that can alter the characteristics displayed in future generations. Germline modifications are distinct from somatic gene therapies, which are administered to an organism after birth. The germline modifications are given to a parent, but they can be passed down to offspring. The alterations are permanent, so it’s very important that genetic engineers get the alterations correct.”

​“UK Ethics Council,” Science Trends, Jul. 30, 2018

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