Throwing the Baby Out with the Bathwater: The Debate on Heritable Human Genome Editing in Japan in the Aftermath of the He Jiankui Affair
Silvia Croydon
First Published: July 12, 2024
Abstract
This article advocates for a bolder stance on the part of scientists and other academics in Japan on the issue of therapeutic heritable human genome editing (HHGE). The article’s contention is that the current moratorium on HHGE science is unlikely to be broken until the moral scruples that the public has on this subject are addressed and resolved. After reviewing literature that highlights the untenability of the popular objections to HHGE, the article goes on to describe the bold pronouncements made in the aftermath of the 2018 He Jiankui affair by Western scientists and contrast these with the silence, or half-hearted endorsement of HHGE, on the part of the Japanese scholarly elite. The article then ends with a discussion on the role that society and social debate have to play in guiding the advancements in technology and science. Drawing parallels with technological developments in other areas, I finish with an urging towards Japan’s scientific elite to play a more proactive role in educating the public on this matter.
Key words
heritable human genome editing, Japan; debate, He Jiankui, reproductive therapy, science
