The Nativity Of The World's First Gene-Edited Babies Prompted International Shock And Outrage.

Working in relative secrecy, Chinese researchers he Jiankui used CRISPR to modify the genomes of two human embryos in hopes of making the resulting babies resistant to HIV. He is experiment was almost universally condemned by the scientific community, leading some researchers to call for a temporary ban on creating more gene-edited babies. The general public, in contrast, seems more supportive according to a new study.

In a survey of 1,537 members of the public across 67 countries, people said they were generally in favour of germline genetic editing- that is, editing that changes an embryo's genetic makeup in a way that can be passed on to future generations.

Participants first watched a short educational video that explained the basic science behind CRISPR gene editing and was then given an information sheet explaining the concept of germline gene editing.

A majority of participants said they strongly agree with the use of germline editing to prevent untreatable diseases or fatal diseases that begin in childhood or adulthood. Those polled were least likely to support germline editing as a medical application to prevent mental illness in adults and to impart resistance to infectious diseases.

Around 50% disagreed or strongly disagreed with the use of germline editing to enhance traits like vision, sports performance, or intelligence. A relatively large proportion of people were undecided about these uses. Strikingly, men were twice as likely as women to support their use for enhancement, and more than 50% of the men who responded to the survey supported all uses of germline editing.

Parents were less supportive of germline editing than people without children. Religious participants were the most opposed to germline editing, and those who reported having expertise or work experience in genetics were also more resistant to it.