Japan's genome-editing law sets a global ethics challenge

A Hiroshima University researcher contends that Japan's newly enacted law regulating human genome-edited embryos and germ cells marks a significant advance in the governance of reproductive genome editing. Tsutomu Sawai, professor at Hiroshima University's Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences, praises the new law for defining prohibited activities and penalties for violation but also stresses the need for stronger international coordination to prevent the prohibitions from being circumvented by individuals seeking procedures abroad.