CYIL vol. 10 (2019)

MARTIN ŠOLC

CYIL 10 ȍ2019Ȏ

Introduction: Germline Modification and Designer Babies Throughout this article, we will use the term germline editing/modification. It denotes a modifying the genome which can be passed on the next generations. In practice, it is a modification of the embryo in its first stages of development, sperms, or oocytes. Gene modification of somatic cells, on the other hand, only alters the genetic information of the person on whom it was carried out and cannot be transmitted to her descendants. 2 Whenever the term germline editing or modification (editing being usually understood as less extensive modification) is used with no further specification in this article, it is used in the meaning of reproductive germline editing (modification), that is the germline editing (modification) leading to the birth of person so the change in the genome can actually be passed on to the next generations. Reproductive germline modification is explicitly prohibited in several dozen countries in the world nowadays 3 . The term designer babies denotes children developed from embryos created by the technique of in vitro fertilisation (IVF) which were prior to their implantation to the woman’s uterus genetically modified in vitro in order to avoid certain undesirable traits or to have certain desirable traits 4 . Even though germline modification can also serve to prevent genetic disorders, we use the term designer babies in this article in the sense of children genetically modified in order to enhance their physical or cognitive traits and abilities. The intended result might consist in the birth of children with a special talent for music or sports, with enhanced memory or logical intelligence, with faster muscle growth, etc. In other words, we do not use the term for genetic modification for health purposes but for the modification aiming at human enhancement (that is at attempting to overcome the natural limitations of the human body 5 ) 6 . In this understanding, not every germline modification results in designer babies. However, the creation of designer babies would usually be based on germline modification. The choice of words designer babies could be seen as deliberately emotional and criticised for emphasizing the “industrialisation” of human reproduction and omitting other aspects of embryos genetic modification such as endowing the children with the best chances for a good life. However, it is very relevant for any legal and ethical discussion regarding genetic 2 See for example Organizing Committee for the International Summit on Human Gene Editing. On Human Gene Editing: International Summit Statement. Available at The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. (3 December 2015.) accessed 30 May 2019. 3 See BEGLEY, Sharon. Leading scientists, backed by NIH, call for a global moratorium on creating “CRISPR babies”. STAT. (13 March 2019.) accessed 30 May 2019. 4 See for example STEINBOCK, Bonnie. Designer babies: choosing our children’s genes. The Lancet. (2008, Vol. 372, No. 9646), p. 1294. 5 See KUŘE, Josef. Enhancement: konceptuální ujasnění a základní podoby. [ Enhancement: Conceptual Clarification and Basic Forms.] In PAYNE, Jan, ČERNÝ, David, DOLEŽAL, Adam (eds.). Dobrý, nebo lepší život? Human Enhancement. [ Good, or Better Life? Human Enhancement. ] Ústav státu a práva ČR, Praha 2015, p. 14, or Institute for Ethics and Emerging Technologies. Human Enhancement. accessed 4 June 2019. 6 See PAYNE, Jan, ČERNÝ, David, DOLEŽAL, Adam (eds.). Dobrý, nebo lepší život? Human Enhancement. [ Good, or Better Life? Human Enhancement. ] Ústav státu a práva ČR, Praha 2015, or SAVULESCU, Julian. Genetic Enhancement. In KUHSE, Helga, SINGER, Peter (eds.). A Companion to Bioethics. 2 nd ed. Malden, Oxford: Blackwell Publishing, 2009, pp. 216-234.

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