International Committee Cautiously Endorses DNA Editing of Unborn Babies

A international committee formed by the U.S. National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Medicine has issued a stamp of approval—with caution—regarding the concept of editing the genomes or germlines of unborn babies in the embryo stage in order to treat or prevent diseases. “Genome editing is a powerful new tool for making precise

additions, deletions and alterations to the genome—an organism’s complete set of of genetic material,” the 300-page report released on Tuesday outlined. The concept involves adjusting the DNA of unborn babies in the early development stage in instances where they are believed to likely inherit a disease or disability from their parents. READ MORE