Biotech entrepreneur Cathy Tie argues that editing human embryos is not only urgent but a moral duty, despite the controversy surrounding the technology.
Following the global outcry over Chinese scientist He Jiankui's creation of the first gene-edited babies in 2018, which landed him in prison, the push for gene-edited human embryos continues. Cathy Tie, the 30-year-old founder of Origin Genomics, believes this advancement is a "moral imperative" and is advocating for public funding and new regulatory frameworks to bring gene-edited embryos to IVF clinics for clinical use.
Germ-line gene editing, which modifies reproductive cells like embryos, has the potential to permanently correct devastating genetic mutations. However, significant safety concerns persist, particularly regarding "off-target effects" — unintended DNA edits that could introduce new, heritable health risks. These risks are why many countries have banned the use of gene-edited embryos for pregnancy.
Critics argue that existing IVF and genetic screening methods are sufficient, making gene editing a solution for a tiny fraction of potential parents. However, current IVF processes are inefficient, often yielding few viable embryos. Couples like Ian Watts and Cheyenne Ziegler, who underwent three rounds of IVF to find embryos free of a gene for a degenerative neurological disorder, highlight the limitations. Even with screening, viable embryos can be discarded, and the number of healthy embryos may not be enough for the desired family size.
Tie, a former Thiel fellow, asserts that the goal is to treat diseases, not just exclude affected embryos. She points to recent advancements in gene-editing precision, like the work at Columbia University using base editing, as evidence that safe and accurate editing is becoming achievable. She believes that if medicine can effectively prevent a disease, the choice to use that intervention should rest with patients as part of their reproductive autonomy, stating, "The obligation of medicine is not only to avoid causing harm but also to prevent avoidable suffering when effective interventions exist."
While Tie acknowledges that embryo editing isn't ready for patients yet, she believes the technology is close enough to warrant addressing legal and funding barriers in the U.S. Origin Genomics is currently optimizing base- and prime-editing tools on donated human embryos for research, with expectations of presenting safety and efficiency data soon. However, other researchers caution that each mutation requires new validation, and unintended consequences remain a significant hurdle, as demonstrated by the Columbia University study's findings that the technology is not yet ready for clinical use.
Experts like Paula Amato emphasize the need for rigorous lab and non-human primate studies, potentially across multiple generations, before considering human trials. Even then, ensuring complete safety is challenging, as embryo biopsies sample only a few cells, potentially missing undetected off-target effects that could emerge later in life. Despite these risks, patients like Cheyenne Ziegler express willingness to embrace novel technologies for the chance of a disease-free life for their children, stating, "If the choices are to discard or to give a new technology a chance, I would lean toward giving new technology a chance."
