CRISPR -Cas9: a groundbreaking new technique which ushers in new prospects and just as many doubts.

Human germline engineering arguably constitutes one of the most promising and at the same time controversial prospects in the realm of gene editing overall, and particularly in the context of the current state of research. The issues raised by such techniques have sparked heated debate worldwide: the scientific and industrial establishments have been strongly supporting CRISPR-Cas9 research, but a well-balanced approach needs to be adopted in order to reconcile the needs of scientific research with the life and dignity of human embryos.