The World Health Organization established a new committee to set guidelines for scientists editing human DNA, just months after the controversial births of the world’s first gene-edited babies in China. The WHO’s 18-member committee of scientific experts, which includes a Chinese bioethicist, will meet in Geneva next month to “examine the scientific, ethical, social and legal challenges associated” with editing human genes and it will make recommendations, the organization said in a statement. ...
An 18-member committee of scientific experts, set up by the World Health Organization (WHO), is set to meet in March to create recommendations for the transparent and responsible use of gene-editing technology. The WHO has already approved a clinical trial involving CRISPR gene editing, but it will be months before any human trials can begin. It is hoped the WHO committee's guidelines will lead to an international framework for scientists working in gene-editing, particularly in China, where there is less regulatory and ethical oversight, compared with countries such as the US.