Germline genome modification through novel political, ethical, and social lenses

by Vicki Xafis, G. Owen Schaefer, Markus K. Labude, Yujia Zhu, Soren Holm, Roger Sik-Yin Foo, Poh San Lai, Ruth Chadwick Much has been written about gene modifying technologies (GMTs), with a particularly strong focus on human germline genome editing (HGGE) sparked by its unprecedented clinical research application in 2018, shocking the scientific community. This paper applies political, ethical, and social lenses t o aspects of HGGE to uncover previously underexplored considerations that are important to reflect on in global discussions. By exploring 4 areas—(1) just distribution of HGGE benefits through a realist lens; (2) HGGE through a national interest lens; (3) “broad societal consensus” through a s tructural injustice lens; and (4) HGGE through a scientific trustworthiness lens—a broader perspective is offered, which ultimately aims to enrich further debates and inform well-considered solutions for developments in this field. The application of these lenses also brings to light the fact that all discussions about scientific developments involve a conscious or unconscious application of a lens that shapes the direction of our thinking.
Source: PLoS Genetics - Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Authors: Source Type: research