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takyon [soylentnews.org] writes:

Scientists with The Francis Crick Institute [crick.ac.uk] have received UK Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority [hfea.gov.uk] (HFEA) approval for using gene editing techniques on human embryos:

The aim of the research, led by Dr Kathy Niakan, a group leader at the Crick, is to understand the genes human embryos need to develop successfully. The work carried out at the Crick will be for research purposes and will look at the first seven days of a fertilised egg's development (from a single cell to around 250 cells).

[...] In line with HFEA regulations, any donated embryos will be used for research purposes only and cannot be used in treatment. These embryos will be donated by patients who have given their informed consent to the donation of embryos which are surplus to their IVF treatment. The genome editing research now needs to gain ethical approval and, subject to that approval, the research programme will begin within the next few months.

The decision marks the first approval by a regulator of gene editing in human embryos [bbc.com]:

In a world-first last year, scientists in China announced they had carried out gene editing in human embryos to correct a gene that causes a blood disorder. Prof Robin Lovell-Badge, a scientific advisor to the UK's fertility regulator, told the BBC: "China has guidelines, but it is often unclear exactly what they are until you've done it and stepped over an unclear boundary. This is the first time it has gone through a properly regulatory system and been approved."

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The Guardian has snippets of varying reactions to the news [theguardian.com]:

Dr David King [biopolitics-berlin2003.org], director of Human Genetics Alert [hgalert.org], said: "This is the first step in a well mapped-out process leading to GM babies, and a future of consumer eugenics." He claimed the government's scientific advisers had already decided they were comfortable with the prospect of so-called "designer babies". Anne Scanlan, from the anti-abortion organisation Life [lifecharity.org.uk], said: "The HFEA now has the reputation of being the first regulator in the world to approve this uncertain and dangerous technology. It has ignored the warnings of over 100 scientists worldwide and given permission for a procedure that could have damaging far-reaching implications for human beings."

[...] "The ruling by the HFEA is a triumph for common sense," said Darren Griffin, a professor of genetics at the University of Kent. "While it is certain that the prospect of gene editing in human embryos raised a series of ethical issues and challenges, the problem has been dealt with in a balanced manner. It is clear that the potential benefits of the work proposed far outweigh the foreseen risks." Sarah Norcross, director of Progress Educational Trust [progress.org.uk], called it "a victory for level-headed regulation over moral panic". Dr Sarah Chan, chancellor's fellow at Usher Institute for Population Health Sciences and Informatics [ed.ac.uk], University of Edinburgh, said: "We should feel confident that our regulatory system in this area is functioning well to keep science aligned with social interests."

Previously: Group of Scientists and Bioethicists Back Genetic Modification of Human Embryos [soylentnews.org]
UK Scientist Makes the Case for Editing Human Embryos [soylentnews.org]

Original Submission