Governing the Genome of Future Generations: Germline Genome Editing and Heritable Human Modification

Human germline genome editing remains one of the most scientifically consequential and normatively contested areas of contemporary biomedicine. Advances in CRISPR-based systems, base editing, prime editing, embryo research models, and genomic screening continue to expand the range and precision of possible interventions. At the same time, persistent challenges—including mosaicism, off-target effects, variant interpretation, and uncertain long-term outcomes—underscore the limits of current knowledge and complicate efforts to define responsible research boundaries. Despite rapid technical progress, governance frameworks remain fragmented across jurisdictions, highlighting the need for scientifically grounded, internationally relevant approaches to oversight.This Research Topic aims to bring actionable ethical, legal, and societal (ELSI) analysis into direct engagement with the experimental realities of human germline genome editing. Rather than treating governance as external to scientific practice, this collection focuses on how laboratory methods, preclinical evidence, technical limitations, and standards of proof should inform ethical evaluation, legal regulation, and policy development. We welcome contributions from both ELSI scholars and researchers working at the scientific frontier whose work bears directly on questions of safety, responsibility, and translational relevance.We particularly encourage submissions that identify ELSI questions emerging from experimental practice, including how methodological choices, evidentiary thresholds, and data interpretation shape governance decisions. By connecting bench science with oversight frameworks, this Research Topic seeks to foster a more grounded and constructive dialogue on permissible research, risk assessment, and the evolving conditions under which policy guidance may adapt.Submissions should address the intersections of technical innovation, ethical deliberation, and regulatory oversight in human germline genome editing, without extending into somatic editing or non-human applications except where directly relevant to human germline governance. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:- Technical advances in germline genome editing and their implications for oversight- Experimental design, safety evaluation, and standards of evidence in preclinical research- Interpretation of mosaicism, off-target effects, and low-frequency genomic alterations- Variant interpretation and genotype–phenotype uncertainty in intervention decisions- Ethical and legal boundaries of embryo and germline editing research- Comparative national and international governance frameworks- Data transparency, reporting norms, and reproducibility in high-stakes research- Laboratory practices, scientific norms, and researcher responsibility in shaping governance- Risk assessment, public engagement, and accountability in germline editing research Topic editors: Dov Greenbaum Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/79659/governing-the-genome-of-future-generations-germline-genome-editing-and-heritable-human-modification