CRISPR

The UK’s first approval of a CRISPR gene therapy is a big deal

The UK’s first approval of a CRISPR gene therapy is a big deal 348 522 Jamie Metzl

It’s a huge deal that UK regulators today granted their first-ever approval for a gene therapy created using CRISPR. Casgevy, developed by the companies Vertex and CRISPR Therapeutics, treats the…

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Has the Third CRISPR Baby Already Been Born?

Has the Third CRISPR Baby Already Been Born? 800 480 Jamie Metzl

For years, I have been saying the genetics revolution is not just coming but already here. As we unlock the secrets of our genomes and systems biology more broadly, we…

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Inviting You to a Genetic Engineering Dinner Party (*)

Inviting You to a Genetic Engineering Dinner Party (*) 284 284 Jamie Metzl

I am inviting you to a dinner party – where you are the host. You can invite whomever you’d like: your family, friends, co-workers, book club members, etc. The preparation…

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Human gene editing is too transformative to be guided by the few

Human gene editing is too transformative to be guided by the few 275 183 Jamie Metzl
My editorial from today’s (3/18/19) Financial Times: Far sooner than most people realise, the genetics revolution will transform the world within and around us — and we are not remotely ready for what’s coming. Yet we must be, to optimise the benefits and minimise the potential harms of genetic technologies. read more

Crossing the Rubicon of Genetically Engineered Human Babies

Crossing the Rubicon of Genetically Engineered Human Babies 275 183 Jamie Metzl

For years I have been writing about how our species is at the cusp of a genetic revolution that will transform our healthcare in the short term, how we make…

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Has the Genetic Arms Race Begun?

Has the Genetic Arms Race Begun? 150 150 Jamie Metzl
Articles in Nature yesterday and in today’s New York Times describe the controversial recent announcement by a Chinese researcher that he has used cutting edge precision gene editing techniques (CRISPR-cas9) on non-viable human embryos.  It is rumored that the results of more research like this will be announced from China in the coming months. Every day we are receiving more evidence like this that the human genetic revolution, with its massive scientific, ethical, political, and national security implications, has already begun. read more