WHO Calls for Gene Editing Registration

世卫组织呼吁建立基因编辑登记处

World Health Organization experts said last week it would be irresponsible for any scientist to do human gene-editing studies in people. They also called for a central registry of gene-editing studies to make sure scientists are open and honest about their work.

世界卫生组织专家上周表示，任何科学家进行人类基因编辑研究都是不负责任的，他们还呼吁建立基因编辑研究的中央登记处，确保科学家们对他们的工作保持开放和诚实。

The WHO group was set up three months ago after a Chinese scientist announced he had edited the genes of twin babies. They met for the first time last Tuesday in Geneva, Switzerland.

这个世卫组织小组成立于三个月前，在此之前，一位中国科学家宣布他编辑了一对双胞胎婴儿的基因。小组成员们上周二在瑞士日内瓦进行了首次会面。

The group said it had agreed on a way to set rules for gene-editing research. It also asked the WHO to start setting up a registry for such studies immediately.

该小组声称他们已经商定了一种办法，为基因编辑研究制定规则。他们还要求世卫组织尽快为这类研究设立一个登记处。

"The committee will develop...guidance for all those working on this new technology" said the WHO's chief scientist, Soumya Swamanathan.

世界卫生组织首席科学家苏穆亚·斯瓦米纳桑(Soumya Swaminathan)表示：“委员会将为所有从事这项新技术工作的人制定指导原则。”

Last year, a Chinese scientist claimed to have edited the genes of two baby girls. They were born to the same mother in the same pregnancy.

去年，一位中国科学家声称编辑了两个女婴的基因，她们是同一位母亲生出来的双胞胎。

News of the births led to condemnation from around the world. Many people believed it might be the start of "designer babies," children whose genes have been edited to give them desirable traits or qualities.

这对女婴出生的消息引发了全球的谴责。很多人认为这可能是“设计婴儿”的开始，这类婴儿的基因经过编辑，可以赋予他们理想的特质或品质。

Scientists and ethicists from seven countries called recently for a suspension of gene editing that would result in genetically-altered babies. They warned the process could have permanent and possibly harmful effects on human beings.

来自7个国家的科学家和伦理学家最近呼吁暂停会导致基因改变婴儿的基因编辑。他们警告说，这一过程可能会对人类产生永久性的有害影响。

The WHO group said in a statement that any human gene editing work should be done for research only. It also said trials of gene-editing should not be done on humans.

世卫组织小组在一份声明中表示，任何人类基因编辑工作都应该仅用于研究，并称不应该对人类进行基因编辑试验。

The WHO's director-general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, welcomed the group's plans. "Gene editing holds (great) promise for health, but it also poses some risks, both ethically and medically," he said.

世卫组织总干事特德罗斯·阿达诺姆·盖布雷耶苏斯对该小组的计划表示欢迎。他说，“基因编辑为人类健康带来了令人难以置信的希望，但在伦理和医学方面也造成了一定的风险。”

The group said it aims over the next two years to produce governance rules for national, local and international officials to make sure that human genome editing science progresses within agreed ethical limits.

该小组表示，其目标是在未来两年内，为国家、地方和国际官员制定治理规则，确保人类基因编辑科学在商定的道德范围内取得进展。

I'm Susan Shand.

苏姗·珊德报道。

World Health Organization experts said last week it would be irresponsible for any scientist to do human gene-editing studies in people. They also called for a central registry of gene-editing studies to make sure scientists are open and honest about their work.

The WHO group was set up three months ago after a Chinese scientist announced he had edited the genes of twin babies. They met for the first time last Tuesday in Geneva, Switzerland.

The group said it had agreed on a way to set rules for gene-editing research. It also asked the WHO to start setting up a registry for such studies immediately.

“The committee will develop…guidance for all those working on this new technology” said the WHO’s chief scientist, Soumya Swamanathan.

Last year, a Chinese scientist claimed to have edited the genes of two baby girls. They were born to the same mother in the same pregnancy.

News of the births led to condemnation from around the world. Many people believed it might be the start of “designer babies,” children whose genes have been edited to give them desirable traits or qualities.

Scientists and ethicists from seven countries called recently for a suspension of gene editing that would result in genetically-altered babies. They warned the process could have permanent and possibly harmful effects on human beings.

The WHO group said in a statement that any human gene editing work should be done for research only. It also said trials of gene-editing should not be done on humans.

The WHO’s director-general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, welcomed the group’s plans. “Gene editing holds (great) promise for health, but it also poses some risks, both ethically and medically,” he said.

The group said it aims over the next two years to produce governance rules for national, local and international officials to make sure that human genome editing science progresses within agreed ethical limits.

I’m Susan Shand.

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Words in this Story

irresponsible – adj. said or done with no sense of responsibility

edit – v. to make changes, correct mistakes

ethics – n. rules of behavior based on ideas about what is morally good and bad

pose – v. to put in place; to create