Gene Editing Is Popular, But Controversial, Research Are

Gene drive research carries great potential for controlling insect vectors of devastating diseases, but there are multiple unresolved ethical concerns. Unanticipated “downstream” effects on ecosystems, or in organisms that carry the gene drive machinery, are possible. To help researchers balance risks and benefits for society and humanity, scientists involved in the Controlling and Countering Gene Editing in Mosquitoes research project developed a code of ethics for gene drive research. Today, gene drive researchers are focused on diseases that mosquitoes carry. The goal is to make a mosquito that cannot infect a person with malaria. “All of a sudden, it’s become a very hot research area. With the discovery of CRISPR, everybody wants to apply CRISPR to everything. But here is an area where it actually makes sense,” says lead author George J. Annas, JD, MPH, director of the Center for Health Law, Ethics, and Human Rights at Boston University.

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A Code of Ethics for Gene Drive Research