Those CRISPR’d human embryos? We got it right, scientists insist, rejecting criticism
When scientists announced last summer that they had used CRISPR to eliminate a disease-causing gene in human embryos, critics immediately erupted with, “You didn’t!” Some meant it in the sense of, omigod, how could you take this step toward designer babies? Others meant, no, your experiment didn’t do what you claimed it did.
The ethical debate about designer babies will probably last longer than the West Antarctic Ice Sheet, but the scientific brawl about the study’s claims has been mostly resolved. In new papers published Wednesday, two groups of scientists detail why they think the researchers, Shoukhrat Mitalipov of Oregon Health and Science University and his colleagues reject the criticism, reporting that they re-tested the embryos — and got the same results.
