No longer a science fiction fantasy, the possibility of designer babies may threaten the world's reproductive future

"Designer babies" may soon be a reality as major strides have been made in germ-line genetic modifications. Dr. Tony Perry, of the University of Bath, has announced results in precise DNA editing at conception in mice, according to BBC.

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - "The prospect is still fiction, but science is rapidly catching up to make elements of it possible," explained Perry on altering embryo genes. "We used a pair of molecular scissors and a molecular sat-nav that tells the scissors where to cut. It is approaching 100 percent efficiency already, it's a case of 'you shoot you score.'"

Aside from simply cutting the DNA to change it, Perry and his team have discovered the technology can also be used to insert new pieces of genetic code into the cut.

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Although many people may have the immediate thoughts of "designer babies" being used for materialistic attributes, like eye color, height or intelligence, this genetic modification process can
potentially be used to take away risky genes, like the gene that causes cancers.

Known as Crispr technology, this innovative way for editing DNA is being recognized as the start of a new era for genetics.

"There's much speculation here, but it's not completely fanciful, this is not HG Wells, you can imagine people doing this soon [in animals]," expressed Perry. "At that time the HFEA [the UK's fertility regulator] will need to be prepared because they're going to have to deal with this issue."

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The ethical outline of the process is consistently debated. Germ-line therapy is completely banned in the UK, so this progression is especially problematic to the British.

"I think it's pretty inevitable that we'll get to a point where it's scientifically possible, certainly these new techniques of genome editing have made something look much more feasible than it did five years ago," said Dr. David King, from the campaign group Human Genetics Alert, to BBC. "But that does not mean to say it's inevitably the way we have to go as a society."

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