Debate Before Decree：Path to Overcome Japan’s Scientific Stalemate on Heritable Human Genome Editing

Croydon, Silvia

大阪大学大学院人間科学研究科社会学・人間学・人類学研究室

heritable human genome editing

社会学　論文

Following the 2018 revelation from China that the first baby, or in fact twins, had been born after heritable human genome editing (HHGE), the narrative emerged in scientifi c and legal circles globally that an absolute and universal ban needs to be introduced with regard to the procedure. Indeed, as if in a refl ect reaction to this Chinese aff air, observers were seen to condemn the procedure even in principle. As the dust settled, however, from Jiankui He’s shocking announcement in Hong Kong in November of that year, a more cautionary and measured approach began to emerge. Currently, with the fi rst global recommendations on HHGE having been adopted by the World Health Organization, a consensus seems to be in the formation towards acceptance in principle, or in other words if the safety, effi cacy and ethical requirements are met. Concurrently with this, the number of publications reporting experimental HHGE results has been steadily increasing. Against this backdrop, it is conspicuous that in Japan̶a bioscience powerhouse, and, notably, the birthplace of the idea that a human’s entire genome could be sequenced̶HHGE science/research is at nil. The present article zooms in on this stasis. Invoking the cases of local human embryonic stem cell research and cadaveric organ donation, the article argues that for Japanese HHGE science to be activated and the country to fulfi l its potential in this area, a broad-based bioethicists-led debate needs to be initiated.