{"id":28954,"date":"2017-07-28T05:25:42","date_gmt":"2017-07-28T09:25:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/admin.patheos.com\/blogs\/geneveith\/?p=28954"},"modified":"2017-07-28T00:29:44","modified_gmt":"2017-07-28T04:29:44","slug":"american-scientists-edit-the-genes-of-human-embryos","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/geneveith\/2017\/07\/american-scientists-edit-the-genes-of-human-embryos\/","title":{"rendered":"American scientists “edit” the genes of human embryos"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"dna-163466_640<\/a><\/p>\n

For the first time, American scientists have \u201cedited\u201d the DNA of developing children. \u00a0The Oregon researchers used a new technology that allows genes to be sliced, diced, and recombined. \u00a0It had never been used on human beings before in the United States.<\/p>\n

Apologists for the procedure emphasize the beneficent possibilities, to cure genetic diseases. \u00a0But this opens the door to \u201cdesigner babies.\u201d<\/p>\n

But don\u2019t worry, says the news report quoted after the jump. \u00a0The embryos were discarded just a few days after they were conceived.<\/p>\n

\n

As if killing the developing children\u2013and conceiving them in order to kill them\u2013were less monstrous than designing them.From\u00a0In U.S. first, scientists edit genes of human embryos \u2013 CBS News<\/a>:<\/em><\/p>\n

For the first time in the United States, scientists have\u00a0edited the genes of human embryos<\/a><\/span>, a controversial step toward someday helping babies avoid inherited diseases.<\/p>\n

According to\u00a0MIT Technology Review<\/a>, which first reported the news on Wednesday, the experiment was just an exercise in science \u2014 the embryos were not allowed to develop for more than a few days and were never intended to be implanted into a womb.<\/p>\n

Officials at Oregon Health & Science University confirmed that the work took place there and said results would be published in a journal soon. It is thought to be the first such work in the U.S.; previous experiments like this have been reported from China.<\/p>\n

The Oregon scientists reportedly used a\u00a0technique called CRISPR<\/a><\/span>, which allows specific sections of DNA to be altered or replaced. It\u2019s much more precise than some types of gene therapy that cannot ensure that desired changes will take place exactly where and as intended. With gene editing, the changes are permanent and would be passed down to any offspring.<\/p>\n

The approach holds great potential to avoid many genetic diseases, but has raised fears of\u00a0\u201cdesigner babies\u201d<\/a><\/span>\u00a0if done for less lofty reasons, such as producing desirable traits.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

[Keep reading. . .]<\/a><\/em><\/p><\/div>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u00a0 For the first time, American scientists have \u201cedited\u201d the DNA of developing children. \u00a0The Oregon researchers used a new technology that allows genes to be sliced, diced, and recombined. \u00a0It had never been used on human beings before in the United States. Apologists for the procedure emphasize the beneficent possibilities, to cure genetic diseases. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1281,"featured_media":28956,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[27,40],"tags":[5647,5648,4511,5646,906],"class_list":["post-28954","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-life-issues","category-science","tag-designer-babies","tag-discarded-human-embryos","tag-embryonic-experimentation","tag-gene-editing","tag-genetic-engineering"],"yoast_head":"\nAmerican scientists "edit" the genes of human embryos<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"American scientists have "edited" the genes of a human embryo. This is a step towards making designer babies feasible. 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