WHO Calls for Gene Editing Registration

 

World Health Organization experts said last week it would be irresponsible for any scientist to do human gene¹-editing studies in people. They also called for a central registry of gene-editing studies to make sure scientists are open and honest about their work.

The WHO group was set up three months ago after a Chinese scientist announced he had edited the genes² of twin babies. They met for the first time last Tuesday in Geneva, Switzerland.

The group said it had agreed on a way to set rules for gene-editing research. It also asked the WHO to start setting up a registry for such studies immediately.

“The committee will develop…guidance for all those working on this new technology” said the WHO’s chief scientist, Soumya Swamanathan.

Last year, a Chinese scientist claimed to have edited the genes of two baby girls. They were born to the same mother in the same pregnancy³.

News of the births led to condemnation⁴ from around the world. Many people believed it might be the start of “designer babies,” children whose genes have been edited to give them desirable traits or qualities.

Scientists and ethicists from seven countries called recently for a suspension of gene editing that would result in genetically-altered babies. They warned the process could have permanent and possibly harmful effects on human beings.

The WHO group said in a statement that any human gene editing work should be done for research only. It also said trials of gene-editing should not be done on humans.

The WHO’s director-general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, welcomed the group’s plans. “Gene editing holds (great) promise for health, but it also poses some risks, both ethically⁶ and medically,” he said.

The group said it aims over the next two years to produce governance rules for national, local and international officials to make sure that human genome editing science progresses within agreed ethical⁵ limits.

I’m Susan Shand.

Words in this Story

irresponsible – adj. said or done with no sense of responsibility

edit – v. to make changes, correct mistakes

ethics⁷ – n. rules of behavior based on ideas about what is morally good and bad

pose – v. to put in place; to create

1 gene   

n.遗传因子，基因

参考例句：

• A single gene may have many effects.单一基因可能具有很多种效应。
• The targeting of gene therapy has been paid close attention.其中基因治疗的靶向性是值得密切关注的问题之一。

2 genes   

n.基因( gene的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• You have good genes from your parents, so you should live a long time. 你从父母那儿获得优良的基因，所以能够活得很长。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Differences will help to reveal the functions of the genes. 它们间的差异将会帮助我们揭开基因多种功能。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 生物技术的世纪

3 pregnancy   

n.怀孕，怀孕期

参考例句：

• Early pregnancy is often accompanied by nausea.怀孕早期常有恶心的现象。
• Smoking during pregnancy increases the risk of miscarriage.怀孕期吸烟会增加流产的危险。

4 condemnation   

n.谴责; 定罪

参考例句：

• There was widespread condemnation of the invasion. 那次侵略遭到了人们普遍的谴责。
• The jury's condemnation was a shock to the suspect. 陪审团宣告有罪使嫌疑犯大为震惊。

5 ethical   

adj.伦理的，道德的，合乎道德的

参考例句：

• It is necessary to get the youth to have a high ethical concept.必须使青年具有高度的道德观念。
• It was a debate which aroused fervent ethical arguments.那是一场引发强烈的伦理道德争论的辩论。

6 ethically   

adv.在伦理上，道德上

参考例句：

• Ethically , we have nothing to be ashamed about . 从伦理上说，我们没有什么好羞愧的。
• Describe the appropriate action to take in an ethically ambiguous situation. 描述适当行为采取在一个道德地模棱两可的情况。

7 ethics   

n.伦理学；伦理观，道德标准

参考例句：

• The ethics of his profession don't permit him to do that.他的职业道德不允许他那样做。
• Personal ethics and professional ethics sometimes conflict.个人道德和职业道德有时会相互抵触。