The Mail

Dana Goodyear's article about the scientist He Jiankui captured the terrifying potential of gene editing ("Dangerous Designs," September 11th). However, many of the problems that certain scientists are trying to remedy with the gene-editing tool CRISPR already have controversy-free solutions. Conditions such as Batten disease, caused when a baby inherits one pathogenic gene from each parent, can be prevented by pre-conception screenings of would-be parents. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, which is inherited from one parent, can be averted using pre-implant genetic diagnosis, a common I.V.F. Gene editing will eventually have a place in clinical medicine, but its use will likely be minimal, compared with these currently accessible, effective, and less buzzworthy techniques.