Users support human heritable genome editing because it opens pathways from disease prevention to enhancement and will likely become safe enough to pursue despite current hurdles.
Base editing in human embryos fixes some mutations and creates others (and creates other problems) https://cen.acs.org/biological-chemistry/gene-editing/base-editing-human-embryos/104/web/2026/06
In response to your criticism: 1. True, but it likely will be “safe enough” to try soon. 2. Not unique to HHGE. Parents consent for their children and future children all the time. Intergenerational effects are a feature not a bug. 3. Yes, but there may still be a role for HHGE especially in older women who make few euploid embryos. 4. Many technologies have potential “dual uses”. e.g. AI, nuclear energy, etc. Doesn’t mean we shouldn’t develop them at all. 5. The real issue is access and not just to HHGE (e.g. somatic gene editing). For some, embryo editing is actually less controversial than embryo selection since theoretically fewer embryos will be discarded. 6. All the more reason to advocate for a regulatory pathway in the U.S. where human subject protections are the most robust.
@BLLPHD " It creates a pathway from disease prevention to enhancement." Good