Why are Democrats trying to loosen restrictions on gene editing now?

Months removed from China's "CRISPR babies" and with Capitol Hill embroiled in debates about abortion and fetal tissue, it seemed an odd time to re-open a debate about germline gene editing and "designer babies." But Democrats on the House Appropriations Committee did so anyway by pushing to deregulate the use of genetically altered embryos intended for pregnancy. After an intense debate regarding the government's capacity and obligation to regulate genomic editing, the ban remained in place.

Now, research advocates and Democratic aides are hinting that lawmakers could pursue a narrower fix, allowing for the FDA to consider trials only for a technique known as mitochondrial replacement therapy — resulting in so-called "three-parent embryos" — without prompting broader, slippery-slope questions about the societal implications of permanently altering the gene pool. STAT's Lev Facher has more here.