CONCERNS. NBC'S ANNE THOMPSON IS JOINING
US WITH MORE ON THIS. GOOD MORNING TO YOU.
>> Reporter: GOOD MORNING, MATT AND SAVANNAH.
THIS IS A REMARKABLE AND CONTROVERSIAL ANNOUNCEMENT.
USING SCISSORS TO ELIMINATE FATAL DISEASES.ASES.
THE QUESTION IS COULD THIS BREAKTHROUGH LEAD TO SO-CALLED
DESIRE BABIES. THE TARGET OF THE RESEARCH, AN
INHERITED HEART DISEASE THAT OFTEN LEADS TO SUDDEN DEATH IN
YOUNG PEOPLE. SCIENTISTS SAY THEY HAVE
SUCCESSFULLY EDITED GENES IN DOZENS OF EMBRYOS TO REMOVE THE
MUTATION THAT CAUSES THE DISEASE WHILE AT THE SAME TIME NOT
TRIGGERING ANY HARMFUL MUTATIONS.
TO DO THIS RESEARCHERS USED A REVOLUTIONARY TECHNOLOGY CALLED
CRISPR, A METHOD THEY SAY COULD EVENTUALLY ELIMINATE INHERITED
DISEASES, SUCH AS SOME CANCERS, HEMOPHILIA AND SICKLE CELL
>> I DESCRIBE IT AS SURGERY FOR THE CELL.
>> SHE SPOKE WITH NBC NEWS EARLIER THIS YEAR.
>> WE HAVE A LEVEL OF CONTROL OVER BIOLOGY THAT IN THE PAST WE
DIDN'T HAVE. IT'S VERY PROFOUND.
IT MEANS WE CAN CONTROL HUMAN EVOLUTION NOW.
>> THAT'S WHAT'S RAISING ALARMS. WHILE MANY BELIEVE CURING DEADLY
DISEASES AT THE GENETIC LEVEL MAY BE A GOOD THING, SOME FEAR
THE TECHNOLOGY COULD BE USED TO CREATE DESIGNER BABIES,
CONTROLLING THINGS LIKE INTELLIGENCE, HEIGHT AND HAIR
COLOR. CRITICS SAY IN THE WRONG HANS
CRISPR COULD BE USED WRONG. CALLING IT A WEAPONS OF MASS
DESTRUCTION. ONE AUTHOR SAID IT COULD BE
DECADES BEFORE EMBRYO EDITING MAKES IT TO CLINICAL TRIALS,
WHICH IS CURRENTLY AGAINST FEDERAL LAW.
>> SUCH COMPLEX TECHNOLOGY. IT CANNOT BE DONE AT HOME.
IT HAS TO BE DONE AT A CLINIC. THERE'S A WAY TO REGULATE IT.
>> Reporter: STILL THE TECHNOLOGY OFFERS A STRAND OF
HOPE FOR THOSE IMPACTED BY THE MORE THAN 10,000 CONDITIONS
CAUSED BY INHERITED MUTATIONS. >> THIS WOULD ALLOW US TO
CORRECT IT AND THEN TRANSPLANT BACK INTO WOMB SO THEY COULD
HAVE A WORRY-FREE FROM THESE MUTATIONS.
>> Reporter: A BIG STEP FOR SCIENCE THAT IS YEARS FROM
REALITY. ONE OF THE RESEARCHERS SAYS NOW
THAT THE TECHNICAL PART HAS BEEN CLEARED, THIS THE TIME TO START
GRAPPLING WITH ETHICAL AND
