Genome editing for heritable diseases not yet safe, report states

Scientists warn embryos that have had DNA edited should not be used in pregnancies

Powerful genome editing procedures that could prevent parents from passing on heritable diseases to their children are far from ready for clinical use, and must be proved safe and effective before nations permit them, leading scientists have warned.

In a major report on the procedure, an international commission said no human embryos that have had their DNA edited should be used to establish pregnancies until a substantial body of work shows genetic faults can be corrected precisely and reliably with no harmful consequences.