May 12, 2015

gene editing of human embryos

As some in science circles have been predicting, gene-editing techniques which are already widely used in plants and animals have now been applied to human embryos. In what is thought to be a world first, Chinese scientists used CRISPR/Cas9 to modify the DNA of human embryos, thereby attracting global headlines about science fiction becoming science fact, as well as warnings about slippery slopes and designer babies. As editorials in science journals urge us to tread carefully and some scientists call for a moratorium on further research on human embryos, the SMC has gathered some of the leading experts in the field to brief journalists on:

–        The science involved
–        The potential benefits if these techniques were made safe
–        The stage we are at and likely future developments
–        The pros and cons of a moratorium
–        The regulatory framework in the UK and elsewhere

Speakers:

Prof. Peter Braude, Emeritus Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, King’s College London

Prof. Robin Lovell-Badge, Group Leader and expert in Stem Cell Biology and Developmental Genetics, Francis Crick Institute

Prof. Bruce Whitelaw, Professor of Animal Biotechnology at the Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh

Dr Tony Perry, Reader, University of Bath

Mr James Lawford Davies, Partner, Lawford Davies Denoon