BOTH AWE AND ALARM. WE GET MORE FROM NBC'S KRISTEN DAHLGREN.
>> Reporter: IN A LAB IN OREGON, A SCIENTIST FERTILIZED HUMAN EGGS
THEY ALSO SWAPD OUT SOME DNA, CORRECTING DEFECTIVE GENES THAT
CARRY DISEASE. PROVING IT IS POSSIBLE TO GENETICALLY MODIFY
HUMAN EMBRYOS, BUT FUELING A GROWING DEBATE.
>> IT'S ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT I THINK IS INEVITABLE.
IT'S GOING TO BE HARD TO CONTROL, HARD TO REGULATE BECAUSE THE
TECHNOLOGY IS SO ACCESSIBLE. >> Reporter: ACCORDING
TO M.I.T.'S TECHNOLOGICAL REVIEW, THE SCIENTISTS USED A
TECHNIQUE CALLED CRISPR ALREADY USED WITH PARTIAL SUCCESS
IN CHINA. ESSENTIALLY A WAY TO CUT AND PASTE DNA,
REPLACING UNWANTED GENETIC INFORMATION. SCIENTISTS SAY IT
COULD SOME DAY ELIMINATE INHERITED DISEASES LIKE SOME
CANCERS, HEMOPHILIA AND SICKLE CELL ANEMIA.
MICHAEL GOODWIN AND HIS WIFE ARE AFRAID TO HAVE CHILDREN.
HE HAS SICKLE CELL, SHE'S A CARRIER. >> IF I COULD PREVENT
MY KID FROM HAVING TO BE UP IN PAIN AND CRYING 24/7, I WOULD
DO ANYTHING IN MY POWER TO STOP THAT. >> Reporter: BUT
CRITICS WORRY CRISPR COULD BE USED TO CREATE DESIGNER BABY,
SELECTING EYE AND HAIR COLOR AND SOME SAY THERE'S THE POTENTIAL
FOR NEW MUTATIONS OR MALICIOUS USES. JAMES CLAPPER CALLED
GENOME EDITING A POTENTIAL WEAPON OF MASS DESTRUCTION AND
CONGRESS HAS BANNED TURNING GENE EDITED EMBRYOS INTO BABIES.
IN THAT LAB IN OREGON, THE EMBRYOS WEREN'T ALLOWED TO DEVELOP
MORE THAN A FEW DAYS, BUT THE DEBATE OVER WHAT
