WHO Panel Recommends Creating International Registry Of Studies On Human Genome Editing

Associated Press: U.N.: Gene editing for human reproduction is ‘irresponsible’
“A panel convened by the World Health Organization said it would be ‘irresponsible’ for scientists to use gene editing for reproductive purposes, but stopped short of calling for a ban. The experts also called for the U.N. health agency to create a database of scientists working on gene editing. The recommendation was announced Tuesday after a two-day meeting in Geneva to examine the scientific, ethical, social, and legal challenges of such research…” (Keaten/Cheng, 3/19).

STAT: World Health Organization advisers call for registry of studies on human genome editing
“A World Health Organization advisory committee on editing human DNA will ask the United Nations agency to establish a global registry of all such research, recommend that editors of scientific journals not publish any unregistered studies, and ask science funders to require that their grantees register their studies, committee co-chair Dr. Margaret Hamburg told reporters on Tuesday. The registry would include studies that edit the DNA of eggs, sperm, and early embryos, called germline editing, and those that edit adult cells for the purpose of curing disease, which is much less controversial and is the focus of all genome-editing companies…” (Begley, 3/19).

Additional coverage of the panel’s recommendations is available from Axios, Nature, New York Times, Reuters, and Science.

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