Gene editing calls for good governance

Researcher He Jiankui made headlines in 2018 when he announced that he had created the world’s first babies with genetically edited DNA using the CRISPR-Cas9 technology. His revelation shocked the scientific community. Many believed Jiankui’s work was an ethical violation. The Nobel Prize awards provide an opportunity to contemplate on this ethical dilemma as we reflect on winners past and present. In 2020, the CRISPR-Cas9 work of duo Jennifer Doudna and Emmanuelle Charpentier won them the prize in chemistry. This year, a winning duo in the physiology or medicine category for work on microRNA brings advances in genetics research back into focus. In 2019, Jiankui was found guilty of “illegal medical practices” and sentenced to 3 years in prison. In July this year, China’s Ministry of Science and Technology prohibited all clinical research involving germ-line editing. While the explicit prohibition is welcome, guidelines alone may not stop unethical research. The