Abstract
In Utero Gene Therapy: A Brave NEW World of Designer Babies?
Highlights
The notion of a “designer baby” seems to be distant science fiction, with the advent of genomeediting technologies such as CRISPR/Cas9, “designer babies" may soon become a reality
Proponents of in utero genetic modification boast its vast potential in treating genetic disorders
Seemingly foreign, gene therapy has already been employed postnatally in humans to treat disorders such as hemophilia B, a bleeding disorder caused by a genetic defect resulting in a lack of coagulation factor IX (FIX) [2,3]
Summary
The notion of a “designer baby” seems to be distant science fiction, with the advent of genomeediting technologies such as CRISPR/Cas9, “designer babies" may soon become a reality. Given that many countries including Canada, Mexico, and Australia have banned in utero genetic editing, this legislation is a milestone and has been met with great apprehension. Many fear this legislation will create a slippery slope promoting the normalization of “designer babies,” wherein genetic modification is used for medical purposes, and for the selection of desired traits to improve the “quality” of an embryo. This article will explore the potential applications of this technology as well as the pertinent ethical considerations
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