A group of biologists have called for a worldwide ban on the use of a gene editing technique that could alter human DNA across generations. They fear the technique may lead to unsafe or unethical uses. The researchers said ina letter published in the journal Science on Thursdaythat the technique could be used to cure genetic diseases and defects, but could also be applied to enhance human genetic traits, which raised serious ethical concerns.You could exert control over human heredity with this technique, and that is why we are raising the issue, David Baltimore, a former president of the California Institute of Technology and one of the authors of the letter,toldthe New York Times. Baltimore and 17 other scientists published the letter to the scientific community urging caution in using the technique.Given the speed with which the genome engineering field is evolving, our group concluded that there is an urgent need for open discussion of the merits and risks of human genome modification by a broad cohort of scientists, clinicians, social scientists, the general public and relevant public entities and interest groups, theywrote, calling for a ban on attempts to create genetically altered humans before the technique is fully understood. … Continue reading →