The ethics of gene editing - is it a medical revolution? Or could it be a step towards designer babies?

Jan 15, 2019, 11:19 AM

Back in November, a Chinese scientist announced that he had helped create the first ever gene edited humans. Gene editing has the potential to remove debilitating diseases caused by a single faulty gene. There are more than 10,000 such disorders including hemophilia and cystic fibrosis as well as serious later-onset conditions such as inherited breast cancer. This type of gene editing can permanently change the DNA of an entire lineage of people. The creation of gene-edited humans is banned in most countries pending further long-term safety research and ethical discussion. Is this a medical revolution or could this just be step one on the way towards designer babies? Vinny got the views of Dr Brendan McCarthy, medical ethics advisor to the Church of England, and commentator Andrea McVeigh.