Showing posts with label crispr conference. Show all posts
Showing posts with label crispr conference. Show all posts

Friday, February 05, 2016

California's Stem Cell Agency to Tackle Host of Touchy Issues on Human Genetic Changes

California's stem cell agency yesterday embarked on what is likely to be an exhaustive review of genetic alteration of human embryos with likely recommendations for changes in the $3 billion research effort.

The 11-year-old agency plans to examine a host of issues ranging from inadvertent, inheritable changes in the human race to informed consent on the part of patients.  The move emerged from a day-long review of the far-reaching subject at a meeting yesterday of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM), as the agency is formally known. 

Responding to a request from the California Stem Cell Report, Kevin McCormack, senior director for communications for CIRM, laid out the scope of the agency's future steps and gave his impressions of the session, which suffered from audio quality issues in its audiocast. (See here and here.)

McCormack said the issues were "too many and too complex" to produce recommendations immediately. He said,
"In the end it was decided that the most productive use of the day was not to limit the discussion at the workshop but to get those present to highlight the issues and questions that were most important and leave it to the (research standard group) to then work through those and develop a series of recommendations that would eventually be presented to the (agency's governing) board."
Matters to be addressed include the following, McCormack said, 
  • Possible changes in language used in getting informed consent from donors in light of the ability of Crispr to make relatively easy changes in human changes. Crispr is a new technique that has brought the whole question to international attention. 
  • Use of Crispr on previously donated materials/samples where general consent was given without knowing that these technologies could be available 
  • Genetic modification of mitochrondial DNA as well as genetic DNA. 
  • The possibility that somatic cell gene editing may lead to inadvertent germ line editing 
  • Engaging patient advocates and other community groups such as the social justice and equity movements for their views. McCormack said, "After all, we are a taxpayer-created and funded organization so we clearly have some responsibility to the wider California community and not just to researchers and patients." 
  • Financing the use of Crispr and other technologies that can modify the human embryo provided those embryos are not going to be implanted in a human uterus. 
Here is the full text of McCormack's summary, which we suspect is going to be turned into an item for the agency's own stem cell blog, The Stem Cellar.
"The meeting began with the hope that it would produce a strong, robust discussion of the issues surrounding the use of CRISPR to edit human embryos and to result in a series of recommendations that the Standards Working Group (SWG) could then forward to the CIRM Board on whether any changes needed to be made to our existing rules and regulations about funding such research.
"It turned out to be a thoroughly fascinating day with some thought-provoking presentations and equally thought provoking questions from the audience, from scientists, social researchers and members of the public.

"It quickly became clear that the discussion was going to be even more robust than we imagined and the issues raised were too many and too complex for us to hope reaching any conclusions or producing any recommendations in one day.

"In the end it was decided that the most productive use of the day was not to limit the discussion at the workshop but to get those present to highlight the issues and questions that were most important and leave it to the SWG to then work through those and develop a series of recommendations that would eventually be presented to the Board.
"The questions to be answered included but are not limited to:
"1) Do we need to reconsider the language used in getting informed consent from donors in light of the ability of CRISPR and other technologies to do things that we previously couldn’t easily do.

"2) Can we use CRISPR on previously donated materials/samples where general consent was given without knowing that these technologies could be available or can we only use it on biomaterials to be collected going forward.

"3) Clarify whether the language we use about genetic modification should also include mitochrondial DNA as well as genetic DNA.

"4) The possibility that somatic cell gene editing may lead to inadvertent germ line editing
"5) How do we engage with patient advocates and other community groups such as the social justice and equity movements to get their input on these topics – do we need to do more outreach and education among the public or specific groups and try to get more input from them (after all we are a taxpayer created and funded organization so we clearly have some responsibility to the wider California community and not just to researchers and patients)

"6) As CIRM already funds human embryo research should we consider funding the use of CRISPR and other technologies that can modify the human embryo provided those embryos are not going to be implanted in a human uterus.

"This was a really detailed dive into a subject that is clearly getting a lot of scientific attention around the world and is no longer an abstract idea but is rapidly becoming a scientific reality. The next step is for a subgroup of the SWG to put together the key issues at stake here and place them in a framework for another discussion with the full SWG at some point in the future.

"Once the SWG has reached consensus their recommendations will then go to the CIRM Board for its consideration. 
"I hope this captures the flavor and essence of what happened today. It really was a fascinating discussion and the issues raised, and their complexity, highlighted why so many different groups around the world are wrestling with the potential, and pitfalls, of this new technology."

Thursday, February 04, 2016

Coverage Concluded on California Human Genetic Modification Conference

The California Stem Cell Report is concluding its live coverage of today's California conference on human genetic modification of human embryos. The quality of the stem cell agency's audiocast is so poor that it is impossible to compile an accurate account of what the speakers have to say.

We hope to bring readers more information on the impact of the proceedings on California stem cell research when written accounts of the meeting become available.

California Stem Cell Agency Not Now Financing Genetic Modification of Human Embryos

The $3 billion California stem cell agency is not currently backing research that involves genetic modification of human embryos, but its standards appear to allow that possibility. 

The agency discussed its research rules at its conference today on the controversial subject. One of the slides presented by the agency said that its research standards group's intent under current regulation was "to allow for in-vitro use of human embryos for research while prohibiting reproductive use."

Earlier this week, the California Stem Cell Report queried the agency about the extent of  human genetic modification in research financed by the agency. Kevin McCormack, senior director of communications for the agency, replied, 
"As for the number of awards involving human genetic modification that’s a large number, five of our clinical trials in HIV/AIDS and our work with Sickle Cell Anemia and Chronic Granulatomous use human genetic modification techniques and many other preclinical/translational research projects do as well. 
"I think what’s more important is that right now none of our awards involve the genetic modification of human embryos, and that’s obviously the goal of the workshop to see if this is something we should fund and under what circumstances and with what controls in place." 
Today's presentation also said that stem cell agency "rules on clinical use of gametes and embryo are consistent with the statement from the International Summit on Human Gene Editing and the Draft ISSCR Guidelines."

Here are the presentation slides from the agency.

California Crispr Conference -- Presentation Slides

Here are presentation slides from some of the speakers at the California stem cell agency conference today on genetic modification of human embryos. They include Jonathan Kimmelman, Alta Charo and Amander Clark.

California Crispr Conference Has Begun but Audio Feed is Less Than Adequate

The audiocast from the California Crispr conference remains garbled although the session appears to be well underway. We expect to post some slides from the presentations shortly which CIRM has emailed to the California Stem Cell Report.

Waiting for the California Crispr Conference

The California stem cell agency is testing the ATT audiocast line to its conference this morning on the genetic modification of human embryos. We believe the conference has not yet started with its presentations.

Search This Blog