Germline gene editing and the precautionary principle

Ethics and germline gene editing.

T he current kerfuffle around the use of CRISPR/Cas9 and other gene editing technologies in human germline research is the latest in a series of related controversies at the intersection of science, medicine, and ethics [1]. Soon after a prominent ad hoc group of scientists called for a moratorium on clinical applications of germline gene editing [2], a research group from China published an ar...

The Ethics of Germline Gene Editing

Germline Gene Editing (GGE) has enormous potential both as a research tool and a therapeutic intervention. While other types of gene editing are relatively uncontroversial, GGE has been strongly resisted. In this article, we analyse the ethical arguments for and against pursuing GGE by allowing and funding its development. We argue there is a strong case for pursuing GGE for the prevention of d...

Standing and the Precautionary Principle

Implementing the precautionary principle.

The precautionary principle can be found in international treaties that protect human health and the environment from a variety of pollutants and perturbations. One of the earliest forms of the precautionary principle was used in the 1980s in Europe to protect the North Sea. In 1992, the Rio Declaration specifically included the precautionary principle in calling on nations to protect the envir...

Expanding the precautionary principle.