Scientists Apply For Permission to Edit DNA of Human Embryos: Why?

British researchers have applied for permission to change the DNA of human embryos. They aim to better understand the cause behind miscarriages.

Earlier in 2015, Chinese researchers became the first worldwide to modify human embryos, the Huffington Post reported.

Now, researchers from the Francis Crick Institute became the first to ask permission to use the technique in Great Britain. The scientists intend to gain more information on the genes involved in the initial stages of fertilization and to know the reason why women suffer from miscarriages.

The procedure is illegal at present, except for purposes of research. The embryos are donated by couples after IVF treatment if they have a surplus, but these would be destroyed after the study. The embryos cannot be legally observed for more than two weeks.

There are people who claim that there are too many unresolved ethical and legal issues involved with gene editing. They wish to cease research on human embryos until the issues are fully determined. The technique is relatively and not deemed to be fully safe, including to potential future generations. It may not even be possible for a subject to acquire all the information on potential risks to agree to the procedure.

“It is our position that conducting this type of research on human embryos is highly premature,” Michael Werner, executive director of the Alliance for Regenerative Medicine, stated.

He added that they called for a voluntary worldwide moratorium on the genome editing of the human germline, to provide the scientific community the opportunity to come together for a thorough legal and policy discussion about the various aspects of the procedure.

Edward Lanphier, chairman of the Alliance, said that using the technique prematurely may result to a public backlash. Genome editing in human embryos using technologies at present can lead to unpredictable effects on future generations. Such approach can result to potential dangers and make the procedure ethically unacceptable.

The research can also be exploited for non-therapeutic modifications. Lanphier said that they're concerned about a public outrage regarding an ethical violation that can stop a promising aspect of therapeutic development, specifically making genetic alterations that cannot be inherited.

Arthur Caplan of New York University said that there may not be a need to test the technique on human embryos immediately. He said that the British researchers should first explain why they would not want to perform more work on animals with new technology, before testing on human embryos. He said that if the application would be approved, it may cause a public outcry, an NPR report noted.

Britain’s Human Fertilisation & Embryology Authority will decide on the application in few weeks or months.