Gene Therapy Organizations Call for 10-Year Ban on Heritable Genome Editing

Three major gene and cell therapy organizations called for a global 10-year moratorium on heritable human genome editing, warning the technology remains too risky for clinical use.

The joint statement , issued by the Alliance for Regenerative Medicine (ARM), the International Society for Cell and Gene Therapy (ISCT) and the American Society for Gene and Cell Therapy (ASGCT) follows a Washington conference that brought together scientists, bioethicists, religious leaders and biotechnology executives.

The moratorium targets heritable human genome editing, which involves modifying embryos, eggs or sperm and passing genetic changes to future generations. This differs from somatic cell gene editing, which modifies a patient’s DNA in non-reproductive cells to treat disease but cannot be inhe