human gene editing

Mitalipov briefly responds to Egli preprint, stands by human embryo CRISPR pub findings

Shoukhrat-Mitalipov

There has been a wave of intense discussions both in the public domain such as on Twitter and behind the scenes over the new Egli, et al. preprint that challenges the main conclusions of the Ma, et al. Nature paper from Shoukhrat Mitalipov’s lab. Ma, et al. reported CRISPR gene editing of human embryos, arguing for …

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Doubts raised on key points of Nature paper on CRISPR gene editing of human embryos

Egli-Mitalipov-preprint

Is it possible that CRISPR gene editing actually didn’t happen in many of the human embryos in that big Nature paper that made such news a couple weeks back? Some doubts have emerged that call the main conclusions of the paper into question and argue that more definitive studies are needed to be sure. An …

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4 key reasons Mitalipov paper doesn’t herald safe CRISPR human genetic modification

CRISPR-dart-board

We can be confident that human genetic modification via CRISPR’ing of embryos soon will be safe and effective after that new exciting Mitalipov team paper, right? Wrong. The reality is far more complicated and interesting on the tech side. In a nutshell, I see the paper as a significant scientific, but not necessarily medical advance. …

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Big 5 questions anticipating Mitalipov human embryo CRISPR paper

human-embryo-modification

The human embryo CRISPR paper with Shoukhrat Mitalipov as senior author is coming soon. It will reportedly be focused on the use of CRISPR to genetically modify viable human embryos for reversal of a disease-associated mutation. While strangely press already broke early on this paper last week, as much as a week before the paper …

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CRISPR, human genetic modification, & a needed course correction

coverGMO-e1498086048321

Are designer babies made using CRISPR or other genetic modification technologies closer to reality today? If so, what exactly should we do about it? Researchers can use CRISPR to genetically modify just about any organism or its cells, but targeting humans is the subject of the most intense discussion including using CRISPR in the human germline …

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Live Blogging #GeneEditSummit Day 2 Post #1: Governance of human gene editing

Barbara-J.-Evans

Now we have an interesting panel starting on questions of governance on human gene editing. This will focus on institutional and national levels of governance. Pilar N. Ossorio, University of Wisconsin, Madison, and Morgridge Institute for Research, is introducing the panel. Key question: how should emerging technologies being governed? Jonathan Kimmelman, from McGill, was the first …

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Monkeying around with myostatin: on the road to healthier humans or human hulks?

the-Hulk

The myostatin gene has been getting quite a bit of attention lately. The buzz surrounds the idea of inhibiting myostatin either through gene therapy or via germline human genetic modification. In this way, some hope to create people with more muscle. Myostatin, which also goes by the acronym MSTN, has an inhibitory function on muscle. …

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UK Biologist Niakan Asks to Make GM Human Embryos For Research

Kathy-Niakan

UK biologist Kathy Niakan has asked governmental permission to make GM human embryos using CRISPR. Earlier this year, a research team in China crossed a scientific line for the first time in history by using gene editing technology called CRISPR-Cas9 to make genetically modified (GM) human embryos. Other researchers around the world including now one …

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Perspectives on Hinxton Human Germline Modification Statement

Hinxton-Group

The international stem cell policy and ethics think tank, the Hinxton Group, weighed in yesterday on heritable human genetic modification with a new policy statement. The Hinxton statement is in many ways in agreement with the Baltimore, et al. Nature paper proposing a “prudent path forward” for human germline genetic modification, which came out of …

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