Human Germline Genome Modification and the Right to Science : A Comparative Study of National Laws and Policies

The advent of the CRISPR/Cas9 class of genome editing tools is transforming not just science and medicine, but also law. When the genome of germline cells is modified, the modifications could be inherited, with far-reaching effects in time and scale. Legal systems are struggling with keeping up with the CRISPR revolution and both lawyers and scientists are often confused about existing regulations. This book contains an analysis of the national regulatory framework in eighteen selected countries. Written by national legal experts, it includes all major players in bioengineering, plus an analysis of the emerging international standards and a discussion of how international human rights standards should inform national and international regulatory frameworks. The authors propose a set of principles for the regulation of germline engineering, based on international human rights law, that can be the foundation for regulating heritable gene editing both at the level of countries as well as globally. Cover Front Matter Title Copyright Table of Contents List of Figures List of Tables Notes on Contributors Foreword by Bartha Knoppers Preface Acknowledgments List of Abbreviations 1 Introduction 2 The Governance of Human (Germline) Genome Modification at the International and Transnational Level The Regulation of Genome Modification at the National Level Part I: North America 3 The Regulation of Human Germline Genome Modification in Canada 4 The Regulation of Human Germline Genome Modification in the United States 5 The Regulation of Human Germline Genome Modification in Mexico Part II: Europe 6 The Regulation of Human Germline Genome Modification in Europe 7 The Regulation of Human Germline Genome Modification in the United Kingdom 8 The Regulation of Human Germline Genome Modification in Germany 9 The Regulation of Human Germline Genome Modification in Belgium 10 The Regulation of Human Germline Genome Modification in Sweden 11 The Regulation of Human Germline Genome Modification in the Netherlands 12 The Regulation of Human Germline Genome Modification in Italy 13 The Regulation of Human Germline Genome Modification in Spain 14 The Regulation of Human Germline Genome Modification in France 15 The Regulation of Human Germline Genome Modification in Switzerland Part III: Asia 16 The Regulation of Human Germline Genome Modification in Japan 17 The Regulation of Human Germline Genome Modification in the People’s Republic of China 18 The Regulation of Human Germline Genome Modification in the Republic of Korea 19 The Regulation of Human Germline Genome Modification in Singapore Part IV: Other OECD Countries 20 The Regulation of Human Germline Genome Modification in Australia 21 The Regulation of Human Germline Genome Modification in Israel Part V: Conclusion 22 Toward a Human Rights Framework for the Regulation of Human Germline Genome Modification Index "This book contains an analysis of the national regulatory framework in eighteen selected countries. Written by national legal experts, it includes all major players in bioengineering, plus an analysis of the emerging international standards and a discussion of how international human rights standards should inform national and international regulatory frameworks. The authors propose a set of principles for the regulation of germline engineering, based on international human rights law, that can be the foundation for regulating heritable gene editing both at the level of countries as well as globally."--Preliminary page This book is an accessible guide to navigate how heritable gene editing is regulated around the world, and how international human rights law can inform the debate on how heritable gene editing should be regulated.