In recent years, gene-editing tools have become extremely cheap and easy to use, giving them an equal amount of potential to be used for curing genetic diseases as they do for being misused, according to Science News for Students. Despite the ethical controversies that continue to surround the topic, scientists have decided to approve the technique, according to Engadget. The decision comes from the 12-person committee that headed the Washington, D.C., summit that was held by the U.S. National Academies of Sciences and Medicine, the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the United Kingdom's Royal Society.
The greenlight applies to the modification of eggs, sperm and embryos, but only if the editing takes place in a lab - this means that none of the research can be used to induce pregnancies, so no designer babies as of yet.
Despite the recommendations made at the summit, none of them are legally binding, although scientists still need to follow the individual laws of their country in regards to working with embryos, according to Science News. Furthermore, many scientists believe that peer pressure and the risk of losing funding will deter most scientists from straying from the decisions made at the summit.
The organizations involved in the summit will continue to assess the issues raised during the event and are also pushing for an ongoing forum that allows them to discuss and establish the acceptable uses of genetic modification.
