A Biotech Founder Makes the Moral Case for Gene-Editing Human Embryos
Biotech entrepreneur Cathy Tie is advocating for the public funding and regulation of gene-edited human embryos, framing it as a moral imperative to prevent genetic diseases. Critics and ethicists warn of significant safety risks and the potential for irreversible off-target genetic consequences.
Why it matters
This debate touches on the ethical boundaries of human germ-line editing and the future of reproductive medicine.
But that hasn’t stopped the push for gene-edited human embryos, with biotech entrepreneur Cathy Tie arguing that doing so isn’t just urgent—it’s a “moral imperative.”
Tie is the 30-year-old founder of Origin Genomics, a company that launched in March with plans to bring gene-edited embryos to IVF clinics. In a new commentary published in the journal Trends in Genetics, she argues for public funding and new regulatory pathways to advance gene-edited babies and eventually move into clinical use.
But questions remain about what evidence researchers will need to determine whether gene-edited embryos are safe enough to attempt a human pregnancy—and what risks might remain for the resulting children.
“There are cautionary tales of first human trials where there was really no flashing red light, and people died,” says Hank Greely, a law professor and director of the Center for Law and the Biosciences at Stanford University.
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