A Biotech Founder Makes the Moral Case for Gene-Editing Human Embryos
When the Chinese scientist He Jiankui announced in 2018 that he had created the first gene-edited babies, the experiment was widely condemned as reckless and premature. It ended with He in prison.
But that hasn’t stopped the push for gene-edited human embryos, with biotech entrepreneur Cathy Tie arguing that doing so isn’t just urgent—it’s a “moral imperative.”
Tie is the 30-year-old founder of Origin Genomics, a company that launched in March with plans to bring gene-edited embryos to IVF clinics. In a new commentary published in the journal Trends in Genetics, she argues for public funding and new regulatory pathways to advance gene-edited babies and eventually move into clinical use.
But questions remain about what evidence researchers will need to determine whether gene-edited embryos are safe enough to attempt a human pregnancy—and what risks might remain for the resulting children.
“There are cautionary tales of first human trials where there...
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