Japan Eyes Ban on Gene-Edited Babies

Tokyo, Dec. 4 (Jiji Press)–Japan plans to introduce a ban with penalties on implanting a genome-edited fertilized human egg into the womb of a human or another animal amid concerns over “designer babies.” A Japanese government expert panel broadly approved a proposal, including the ban, at a meeting Thursday. With concerns rising over babies whose genetic makeup has been altered to accommodate the parents’ preferences, the government aims to submit related legislation during next year’s ordinary parliamentary session at the earliest. In 2019, the government’s Expert Panel on Bioethics drafted a report calling for discussions on laws and regulations on the subject, following the birth of genome-edited twins in China. Japan did not establish any legislation at the time as genome editing had not been clinically applied. But the government decided to discuss again establishing related legislation in light of the recent progress in germ cell research, including studies using induced pluripotent stem, or iPS, cells. The proposed ban would also cover embryos created using eggs and sperm derived from human iPS cells and embryonic stem cells, as well as embryos capable of developing into a human being regardless of their origin. Meanwhile, Japan will not ban basic research leading to the unraveling of genetic mechanisms or the development of treatment for serious diseases. While the country will leave the studies up to researchers based on predetermined guidelines, researchers will be obliged to submit a research plan and undergo a screening process. If the research is found to be inappropriate, the government can order a change or a halt to the plan. Criminal punishment will only be applied to serious violations, such as in utero transplantation of embryos. Reflecting the evolution in the field of science and technology, the panel plans to continue discussions on genome editing. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]