Altering genes to try to enhance traits such as muscle mass or height is not endorsed. Whether editing is acceptable from an ethics and societal perspective “needs to be answered country by country,” he said. -- Extensive public discussions should be held before any country decides to allow editing embryos, eggs or sperm. A regulatory system needs to be in place to ensure oversight and publication of results, and to prevent bias or discrimination. -- Edited embryos should be studied in the lab to ensure they’re developing normally, and tests should be done to verify that all cells were altered as intended, before they’re used to attempt pregnancy.

Source: International New York Times September 03, 2020 14:03 UTC