Summary: Scientists at OHSU recently announced that they’ve made a stunning breakthrough. They have successfully repaired a gene in human embryos to repair a common and serious disease-causing mutation, producing apparently healthy embryos. This technique could potentially be used in the future to edit out inherited genetic mutations – including those that cause Huntington’s, Tay-Sachs, breast cancer or even Alzheimer’s – from human embryos. It also raises the prospect of editing embryos for other traits – in other words, creating “designer babies.” Shoukhrat Mitalipov, director of the Center for Embryonic Cell and Gene Therapy at Oregon Health and Science University, Daniel Dorsa, OHSU’s senior vice president for research, and Paula Amato, associate professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the OHSU School of Medicine, join us for a discussion, along with a live audience.
