What are some ethical concerns related to gene editing in humans?

• A. Off-target risks, informed consent, equitable access, potential germline modification, and long-term societal impacts
• B. Only cost considerations
• C. Only technical feasibility
• D. No ethical concerns

Answer: (C)

Ethical implications of human gene editing encompass safety, consent, equity, heredity, and broader societal impact. The best choice reflects that many distinct concerns come into play: off-target risks mean edits could affect unintended places in the genome, potentially causing harm; informed consent is complex when edits may affect future generations or embryos, raising questions about who can decide and what information is needed; equitable access matters to prevent widening health disparities if only some people can benefit; germline modification would pass changes to future generations, raising long-term moral and regulatory questions; and long-term societal impacts include how we view disability, parenting, and the roles of science and regulation. Focusing only on cost misses these ethical dimensions, and treating technical feasibility as the sole concern ignores the many non-science factors that must be weighed. Saying there are no ethical concerns is incorrect because these issues are real and central to evaluating human gene editing.