Moral reasons to edit the human genome: picking up from the Nuffield report

In July 2018, the Nuffield Council of Bioethics released its long-awaited report on heritable genome editing (HGE). The Nuffield report was notable for finding that HGE could be morally permissible, even in cases of human enhancement. In this paper, we summarise the findings of the Nuffield Council...

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Published in:Journal of medical ethics 2019-08, Vol.45 (8), p.514-523
Main Authors: Gyngell, Christopher, Bowman-Smart, Hilary, Savulescu, Julian
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Advisory Committees
autonomy
Bioethics
Clinical medicine
Councils
CRISPR
Debates
Disease
distributive justice
DNA methylation
Embryonic Germ Cells
enhancement
Ethics
Ethics Committees
Feature article
Female
Gene Editing - ethics
Gene Targeting - ethics
Genes
Genetic engineering
Genetic Enhancement - ethics
Genome editing
Genome, Human
Genomics
Humans
Informed consent
Medical ethics
Medicine
Morals
Moratoriums
Mutation
Pregnancy
Reproductive Techniques, Assisted - ethics
Reproductive Techniques, Assisted - trends
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description In July 2018, the Nuffield Council of Bioethics released its long-awaited report on heritable genome editing (HGE). The Nuffield report was notable for finding that HGE could be morally permissible, even in cases of human enhancement. In this paper, we summarise the findings of the Nuffield Council report, critically examine the guiding principles they endorse and suggest ways in which the guiding principles could be strengthened. While we support the approach taken by the Nuffield Council, we argue that detailed consideration of the moral implications of genome editing yields much stronger conclusions than they draw. Rather than being merely ‘morally permissible’, many instances of genome editing will be moral imperatives.
doi_str_mv 10.1136/medethics-2018-105084
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subjects Advisory Committees
autonomy
Bioethics
Clinical medicine
Councils
CRISPR
Debates
Disease
distributive justice
DNA methylation
Embryonic Germ Cells
enhancement
Ethics
Ethics Committees
Feature article
Female
Gene Editing - ethics
Gene Targeting - ethics
Genes
Genetic engineering
Genetic Enhancement - ethics
Genome editing
Genome, Human
Genomics
Humans
Informed consent
Medical ethics
Medicine
Morals
Moratoriums
Mutation
Pregnancy
Reproductive Techniques, Assisted - ethics
Reproductive Techniques, Assisted - trends
title Moral reasons to edit the human genome: picking up from the Nuffield report
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