Heritable human genome editing: Research progress, ethical considerations, and hurdles to clinical practice

Jenna Turocy; Eli Y Adashi; Dieter Egli

doi:10.1016/j.cell.2021.02.036

Heritable human genome editing: Research progress, ethical considerations, and hurdles to clinical practice

Cell. 2021 Mar 18;184(6):1561-1574. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2021.02.036.

Authors

Jenna Turocy¹, Eli Y Adashi², Dieter Egli³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA.
² Professor of Medical Science, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA.
³ Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA; Department of Pediatrics and Naomi Berrie Diabetes Center, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA; Columbia University Stem Cell Initiative, New York, NY 10032, USA. Electronic address: de2220@cumc.columbia.edu.

PMID: 33740453
DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2021.02.036

Abstract

Our genome at conception determines much of our health as an adult. Most human diseases have a heritable component and thus may be preventable through heritable genome editing. Preventing disease from the beginning of life before irreversible damage has occurred is an admirable goal, but the path to fruition remains unclear. Here, we review the significant scientific contributions to the field of human heritable genome editing, the unique ethical challenges that cannot be overlooked, and the hurdles that must be overcome prior to translating these technologies into clinical practice.

Keywords: germline genome editing; heritable disease; mutations; reproduction; reproductive medicine.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Review

MeSH terms

Biomedical Research*
DNA Breaks
Gene Editing / ethics*
Genome, Human*
Humans
Inheritance Patterns / genetics*
Practice Patterns, Physicians'*