Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • NEWS

How to protect the first ‘CRISPR babies’ prompts ethical debate

Fears of excessive interference cloud proposal for protecting children whose genomes were edited, as He Jiankui’s release from jail looks imminent.
  1. Smriti Mallapaty
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed  Google Scholar

Two prominent bioethicists in China are calling on the government to set up a research centre dedicated to ensuring the well-being of the first children born with edited genomes. Scientists have welcomed the discussion, but many are concerned that the pair’s approach would lead to unnecessary surveillance of the children.

Access options

Rent or buy this article

Get just this article for as long as you need it

$39.95

Learn more

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Nature 603, 213-214 (2022)

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-022-00512-w

References

  1. Kirksey, E. The Mutant Project: Inside the Global Race to Genetically Modify Humans (Bristol University Press, 2021).

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Subjects

Latest on:

Nature Careers

Jobs

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing

Search

Advanced search

Quick links