International commission’s report cautions against editing human embryo genome to produce pregnancy

A new report from an international commission of the U.S. National Academy of Medicine, U.S. National Academy of Sciences, and the U.K.’s Royal Society, cautions against permitting editing of the genome of embryos that will be used to produce a pregnancy.

Current practices are not yet at a level at which it is possible to ensure against creating undesirable changes when editing the human genome, according to a release from the U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine.

“Heritable genome edits can be passed down to future generations, raising not only scientific and medical considerations but also a host of ethical, moral, and societal issues,” the U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine said in the press release. “Extensive societal dialogue is needed before any country decides whether to permit clinical use of heritable human genome editing — making alterations to genetic material of human eggs, sperm, or any cells that lead to their development, including the cells of early embryos — with the intention of establishing a pregnancy.”