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Human Embryonic Gene Therapy: Why Now

  • Journal of the Korea Bioethics Association
  • 2017, 18(2), pp.21-37
  • Publisher : The Korean Bioethics Association
  • Research Area : Interdisciplinary Studies > Interdisciplinary Research

Cho, Eunhee 1

1조선대학교

Accredited

ABSTRACT

Recently, several research teams have conducted research on human embryonic genome editing therapy. This has facilitated deliberation on the ethical, legal and social implications of human embryonic gene therapy. This article reviews the work of researchers in this field to summarize how the genome editing technology is different from the pre-existing gene therapy, and figure out whether such changes mitigate previous concerns that prohibit the practice of gene therapy on the embryo. Off-target effects, mosaicism, and mutations induced by the double-stranded DNA breakage are mentioned as major obstacles that impede the human embryonic genome editing therapy. Researchers tend to focus primarily on how to solve such issues in a technical perspective, without sufficiently considering the potential consequences that could arise when this technology was applied to human embryonic gene therapy. For the sake of the general public and for the advancement of research, we need more comprehensive research in this field and subsequent productive discussions on embryonic gene therapy.

Citation status

* References for papers published after 2023 are currently being built.