Brave new world: is human genome editing morally permissible?
Intended for healthcare professionals
Evidence & Practice Previous     Next

Brave new world: is human genome editing morally permissible?

Pippa Sipanoun Paediatric cardiac intensive care nurse and member of the clinical ethics committee, Great Ormond Street Hospital for and on behalf of the RCN’s Research in Child Health community

Use of the CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing tool poses ethical questions about eradiating inherited diseases versus creating so-called ‘designer babies’. Pippa Sipanoun, who undertook a master’s degree in medical ethics and law, examines ethical and clinical arguments for and against

Background

It is illegal in the UK to alter genomes or embryos used to conceive a child, but last year one group of scientists in London was given a licence to genetically edit donated human embryos to improve understanding of human embryo development.

Nursing Children and Young People. 29, 9, 21-21. doi: 10.7748/ncyp.29.9.21.s20

Want to read more?

RCNi-Plus
Already have access? Log in

or

3-month trial offer for £5.25/month

Subscribe today and save 50% on your first three months
RCNi Plus users have full access to the following benefits:
  • Unlimited access to all 10 RCNi Journals
  • RCNi Learning featuring over 175 modules to easily earn CPD time
  • NMC-compliant RCNi Revalidation Portfolio to stay on track with your progress
  • Personalised newsletters tailored to your interests
  • A customisable dashboard with over 200 topics
Subscribe

Alternatively, you can purchase access to this article for the next seven days. Buy now


Are you a student? Our student subscription has content especially for you.
Find out more