Governance of Human Genome Editing and the Role of Interdisciplinary Collaborations
Keywords:
Genome editing, Genetic modification passed on to next generations, Scientific research community, World Health Organisation, Interdisciplinary collaborationAbstract
Making possible the easy and effective modification of genes, genome editing has become an indispensable tool for basic and applied medicine and life sciences. Since 2015, when a research paper describing basic research work on genome editing in human embryos was published, there has been extensive discussion on the use of the technology in humans. In particular, the question regarding whether the technology can be applied to the human germ line through which modified genes are passed on to the next generations has been hotly debated. In this article, by analyzing various events and discourses during this period, some crucial issues and lessons for the future have been highlighted and examined. During the analysis, it became clear that, while the scientific community played an important role in stimulating public discussions, its self-regulation was not sufficient to prevent incidents like the birth of twin babies through genome editing. In the future, it will be crucial to deepen more interdisciplinary and global-scale discussions through the participation of non-medical and scientific specialists, citizens, patients, etc. Bioethicists and ELSI (Ethical, Legal, and Social Issues or Implications) specialists are also expected to play an important role in facilitating such discussions.
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