Embryo Engineering Breakthrough Generates Controversy

Stem cell researchers have genetically engineered a human embryo, a pioneering development that was immediately criticized as a big step toward engineering infants.

The research itself was very simple: After positioning a fluorescent protein gene into an embryo all the cells in the embryo glowed after it divided, giving researchers a chance to monitor the changes that had been engineered. The scientists emphasized that their study was performed on a nonviable embryo that could never have grown into an infant.

The research, first covered on May 11, 2008, in the Sunday edition of the New York Times, was criticized by the Center for Genetics and Society (Oakland, CA, USA) for crossing a boundary that had never been breached. Their worry is that once researchers understand how to engineer an embryo, individuals can design their babies with specific characteristics for intelligence, appearance, or athletic ability. However, the scientists insisted that their study should not be misinterpreted.

"None of us wants to make designer babies,” said Dr. Zev Rosenwaks, director of the Center for Reproductive Medicine and Infertility at New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center (New York, NY,USA).


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New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center