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The ability of CRISPR gene-editing technology to safely modify human embryos has been cast into doubt after several recent papers described massive disruptions to DNA in embryos subjected to editing.
Each of the three papers, published this month without peer review on the preprint server bioRxiv, intended to edit only a single gene. But results showed large-scale, unintended DNA deletions and rearrangements in the areas surrounding the targeted sequence. While past research has shown that gene editing can lead to mutations far away from the targeted region, these studies instead draw attention to more localized damage involving larger sequences of DNA that could be overlooked by traditional safety screenings, Nature reports.
These studies were intended only for research purposes, meaning the embryos were destroyed after the experiment ended. But in response to their findings, many researchers are voicing their objections to further editing. The field itself ...
