https://www.thehastingscenter.org/moratorium-on-human-genome-editing-time-to-get-it-right/
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Click here for a deeper conversation on this topic led by Hastings Director of Research Josephine Johnston.
Last month, the journal Nature published a call for a global moratorium on heritable human genome editing. Despite criticism, notably from CRISPR pioneer Jennifer Doudna, the moratorium is just what’s needed now.
BIOETHICS FORUM ESSAY
When the world’s first research on editing the genes of human embryos by Chinese scientists was published in an international journal in 2015, a report in the New York Times characterised the key issue involved as “a scientific ethical divide between China and West.” Earlier this year, an article in the magazine Foreign Policy by… Read more
Last March, 4,000 frozen eggs and embryos were lost at University Hospitals Fertility Center in Cleveland when the temperature in cryogenic tanks spiked due to human error. Officials at University Hospitals have apologized repeatedly to the affected patients, and say that they are working to provide refunds, free services, and “emotional support.” A similar incident… Read more
Last month, England announced that it would allow women to take the second pill required for a medical abortion–misoprostol–at home, rather than requiring them to travel to a clinic. The policy brings England in line with Scotland and Wales, as well as many other countries, and it eliminates significant obstacles to legal abortion for many… Read more
That was one of the many questions explored at a public event at the New York Academy of Sciences on May 21, cosponsored by The Hastings Center, the Aspen Brain Institute and the New York Academy of Sciences. “The Enhanced Human: Risks and Opportunities” examined existing and emerging enhancement technologies, with a special focus on gene… Read more
HASTINGS CENTER NEWS
A transgender woman has successfully breastfed a baby. This case has been hailed as a “breakthrough” for transgender families. I will argue that being transgender is only peripherally relevant, and the potential risks to infants are unjustified. The woman, whose name and hometown were not given, had been taking hormonal medications since 2011 as part… Read more
We live in an era in which great advances are occurring at the intersection of assisted reproduction technologies and genetics, often called reprogenetics. These advances include preimplantation genetic diagnosis, prenatal genetic testing, and gene editing. They hold great promise for improving human health and enhancing reproductive control. But they also demand careful thought and wise… Read more
Little noticed in the United States but a big deal in France, President Emmanuel Macron announced in January that he is creating a bioethics commission to review the country’s policies on a wide range of subjects, including human reproduction, euthanasia, neuroscience, and artificial intelligence. It’s a unique initiative driven by a problem that has bedeviled… Read more
In January the Department of Health and Human Services acted to increase enforcement of laws that permit doctors and other health care workers to refuse to provide services such as abortion because of moral or religious objections. A new Conscience and Religious Freedom Division in the department’s Office for Civil Rights will be in charge… Read more
Noninvasive fetal genetic sequencing done early in pregnancy is poised to become a routine part of prenatal care. While it could offer patients substantial benefits, there is a risk that it will be integrated into care “without the robust, evidence-based informed consent process necessary for respecting women’s autonomy,” states an article in the August 10… Read more
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