AMA Journal of Ethics

The Asilomar Conference of 1975 and the German Ethics Council offer guidance for a path towards prudent regulation in the face of unknown and significant risks.

International debate about human genome editing governance has undergone a paradigm shift and suggests that inclusive public deliberation is still important.

Dr Sean C. McConnell provides an introduction to gene editing, and Scott J. Schweikart discusses what prudent governance requires.

Although advisory groups like the World Health Organization question whether certain forms of gene editing should be permitted, the US Patent Office routinely issues patents protecting this technology.

Genome editing raises old questions, but CRISPR arose in a political landscape that vastly differs from the early aughts.

Transnational monitoring efforts should focus on safety, defining standard of care, and promoting just access to innovation.

Clinically and ethically relevant questions are related to patient safety, therapeutic efficacy, equitable access, and global governance over humanity’s genetic legacy.

Little claims data exists upon which to make informed decisions about loss control or to draw upon when developing risk mitigation strategies.

The authors further consider the merits of preventing ECMO from becoming a default treatment.

Low-resource areas are heterogeneous and changing, so establishing an evidence base for decision making about technology use is an important priority.