New committee to examine potential clinical use of germline editing 

The U.S. National Academies and the U.K.’s Royal Society just formed an international commission to assess the potential clinical use of germline editing. The practice is illegal in the U.S. and many other countries, but after Chinese scientist He Jiankui’s rogue experiment led to the birth of the world’s first genome-edited babies late last year, experts have worried that other researchers may attempt the same. The new commission — whose final report is expected next year — will hold public meetings and an international workshop to come up with a framework for when it may be acceptable to use CRISPR to edit IVF embryos and establish pregnancies with them. Members include Broad Institute President Eric Lander and former FDA Commissioner Robert Califf, and the public now has 20 days to offer feedback on the commission’s membership. The WHO established an advisory committee on editing human DNA back in December.