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Americans are Becoming More Open to Human Genome Editing, Survey Finds, but Concerns Remain
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Americans are Becoming More Open to Human Genome Editing, Survey Finds, but Concerns Remain

Jon Cohen
Science, 2017
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8

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  • Scientific
  • Hot Topic

Recommendation

In 2016, the Pew Research Center reported that 68% of Americans were “somewhat” or “very” concerned about the idea of editing the human genome. More recent research suggests that two thirds of Americans find editing the human genome to be more or less acceptable, though support varied depending on the religiosity of the respondent, as well as the type of gene edited and the reasons for the manipulation. getAbstract recommends this report from Science to readers who are interested in the promise of CRISPR technology and how public opinion influences scientific progress.

Take-Aways

  • According to a recent survey published in Science magazine, two thirds of Americans find editing the human genome “acceptable,” though there are still religious and ethical concerns.
  • Germline cells can be passed on to subsequent generations, while somatic cells cannot. Respondents were generally less accepting of changes to germline cells.
  • Respondents were more accepting of editing genes that cause disease, but more likely to oppose using gene editing to improve IQ or change eye color.

About the Author

Jon Cohen writes for Science magazine. His interests include infectious diseases, immunology, vaccines, public health, primates, and biomedical discovery.

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