Australian Public Attitudes on Gene Editing of the Human Embryo

Technology is now available which facilitates gene editing and has recently been applied internationally to embryos in the laboratory. A 2002 law in Australia prohibits making heritable changes in embryos, regardless of whether the treated embryo is discarded thereafter. We sought to begin to understand public opinion in Australia about this matter, using a questionnaire given to the audience attending a Q and A panel of experts. We found majority support for allowing heritable changes for health purposes. If this is confirmed in a larger survey of the population, we suggest the existing law should be reviewed.