Americans say edit OK baby genes, up to a certain point: sounding

FRIDAY, July 27, 2018 (HealthDay News) – The gene edition is no longer just fodder for sci-fi movies. According to a new poll, most Americans think it's okay to alter a baby's DNA under certain circumstances

. The Pew Research Center, based in Washington DC, found that nearly three-quarters of Americans approve gene editing.

About 72% of the more than 2,500 adults surveyed in the survey reported using gene editing on unborn children to treat a critical illness or illness. Sixty percent said the same thing about the use of gene editing to prevent a serious health problem later in life.

However, not even 1 in 5 thought that it was appropriate to use gene editing to boost a baby's IQ, according to the survey conducted on 23 April to May 6, 2018.

And only a third of respondents support gene editing if its development requires testing on human embryos.

Differences appeared in the responses of very religious and less religious people. Only 46% of very believing people believe that it is appropriate to use genetic editing to reduce the risk of baby's disease later in life, compared to 73% of less believing people

. People with a high level of scientific knowledge expressed more support than those with little scientific knowledge.

The survey also revealed that 58% of those surveyed believe that gene modification is likely to increase inequalities. In addition, more than half think that it is very likely that "even if gene editing is used appropriately in some cases, others will use these techniques in a way that morally unacceptable ".

lead to new medical advances beneficial to society as a whole? Only 18 percent believe this is the case, the researchers said.

The results of the survey were published on July 26.

More information

Learn more about gene editing on yourgenome.org