Balancing potential benefits and ethical considerations of gene editing

Abstract

Although the potential benefits of gene editing are enormous,1Maeder ML Stefanidakis M Wilson CJ et al.Development of a gene-editing approach to restore vision loss in Leber congenital amaurosis type 10.Nat Med. 2019; 25: 229-233Crossref PubMed Scopus (374) Google Scholar considering that it also presents serious ethical, scientific, and social challenges that must be addressed is important.2Lanphier E Urnov F Haecker SE Werner M Smolenski J Don't edit the human germ line.Nature. 2015; 519: 410-411Crossref PubMed Scopus (339) Google Scholar A recent Editorial3The LancetHuman genome editing: ensuring responsible research.Lancet. 2023; 401: 877Summary Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (0) Google Scholar highlights heritable genome editing risks and urges regulatory clarity to prevent unintended generational changes.4Greely HT CRISPR'd babies: human germline genome editing in the ‘He Jiankui affair’.J Law Biosci. 2019; 6: 111-183Crossref PubMed Scopus (0) Google Scholar Reproductive embryo DNA alteration is banned in many countries, but ambiguous regulations pose accountability challenges.3The LancetHuman genome editing: ensuring responsible research.Lancet. 2023; 401: 877Summary Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (0) Google Scholar Here are some suggestions for using gene editing while safeguarding ethical and social considerations. First, more robust ethical guidelines and frameworks should be created. Ethical guidelines need to be reviewed and strengthened internationally to make them transparent and inclusive, involving stakeholders such as ethicists, scientists, and patient groups. Second, public engagement and open dialogue should be encouraged. Public awareness on advances in gene editing technology and their implications is crucial. Scientists, policy makers, and other stakeholders should prioritise building trust and involving the public in discussions on gene editing's ethics and social implications. Third, a global regulatory body should be established. The absence of policy alignment between countries raises the possibility of scientists exporting their research to evade constraints established in their home jurisdictions. A UN-based global regulatory body can allow conditional gene editing use worldwide, ensuring safe and ethical conduct while identifying potential consequences. And fourth, new international collaborations should be developed. Collaborations can promote responsible development through joint research, sharing best practices, and promoting international ethical standards. By incorporating these suggestions, we can ensure that the use of gene editing is grounded in international ethical standards. Although personalised medicine is becoming a reality, we must not overlook the importance of addressing the ethical challenges. We declare no competing interests. The crisis of maternal and child health in AfghanistanIn the past two decades, despite ongoing war, international development assistance and funding, channelled through Afghanistan's Ministry of Public Health, expanded access to primary care, improved government hospitals, and trained thousands of health-care providers in Afghanistan, especially women. Accompanying technical assistance strengthened the capacity of Afghanistan's Ministry of Public Health to develop policy, design requirements for and oversee services provided by international and national non-governmental organisations (NGOs), and initiate surveillance, monitoring, and evaluation systems. Full-Text PDF