February 8, 2016
It has been announced that the very controversial and ethically questionable practice of gene editing had been approved for research purposes in the United Kingdom. The practice would allow for the altering of DNA within human embryos.

The BBC reports that: http://www.bbc.com/news/health-35459054
The work will be led by Dr Kathy Niakan, who has spent a decade researching human development.
Earlier this year, she explained why she had applied to edit human embryos: "We would really like to understand the genes needed for a human embryo to develop successfully into a healthy baby.
"The reason why it is so important is because miscarriages and infertility are extremely common, but they're not very well understood."
While the intentions of these researchers may be good, the methods by which they are going about this is troubling. These embryonic human beings on which they will be conducting these experiments will never be implanted but will instead be killed when they are of no further use to these scientists.
There has long been an accepted understanding among the scientific community that certain genetic-engineering tools may be used to treat an individual’s medical condition, but should not be used to modify young embryos in order to alter the traits of future children.
Scientists and ethicists have expressed concern that this sort of genetic engineering may have unforeseen consequences and ultimately more than one victim should these altered genes be passed on.
Advances in science should not come at the expense of ethics or our own humanity. In order to aid those facing infertility, scientists are proposing to destroy innocent human lives.
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