Bill Gates says gene editing raises ethical issues

• Bill Gates recently described a groundbreaking scientific technique called gene editing as "the most important public debate we haven't had enough of."
• Gene editing has been used in the United States as a one-time treatment for disease, but a Chinese researcher recently said he helped create the first genetically edited babies.
• Many more should be aware of gene editing and what it can do, Gates said.

Gene Editing is one of the most promising new approaches to treating human diseases today.

It also raises "huge" ethical issues, Bill Gates recently warned, and "could make inequality worse, especially if it is only available to wealthy people."

"I am surprised that these issues have not generated more public attention," he said in a blog post in December and added that "this may be the most important public debate we haven't had enough of."

Gene editing allows researchers to make powerful, precise changes in a person's DNA, typically to fix a defective gene.

Ethical concerns about what the approach can be used for have long existed, but it was recently fought when a Chinese researcher said he had played a role in creating the first genetically edited babies.

Gene editing has already occurred in humans in the United States as a one-time treatment for disease. But unlike these efforts, the Chinese scientist's work will allow genetic changes to be transferred to other generations. It was quickly triggered, with many researchers describing the project as if and unethical.

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"I agree with those who say this researcher went too far," Gates said. "But something good can come from his work if it encourages more people to learn and talk about re-editing."

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Gates suggested those who are interested , check out "Gene," an almost 600-page tome of the famous cancer leader Siddhartha Mukherjee describing the history of genetics. (Gates previously called "The Gene" one of his favorite books in 2016.)

"This story is one to follow, because big breakthroughs – something good, something worrying – come," Gates said.