New research by bioethicist Dr Kevin Smith claims that the risks of gene editing are now low enough to warrant its use with human embryos, arguing that ‘creating designer babies is ethically justifiable and highly desirable’. He said it could kick-start a revolution in producing genetically-modified (GM) people, offering hope to parents at risk of transmitting serious genetic disease to their future children. He said, ‘The human germline is not perfect. Evolution furnished us with minimal protection from diseases including cardiovascular disease, cancer and dementia. GM can protect future people against these and other common disorders.’ Producing GM babies in China last year was criticised by geneticists and ethicists. Smith compared GM people to the advancement of IVF, stating that if such negative attitudes to biomedical innovation had prevailed in the 1970s, the development of IVF would have been delayed and might never have come to fruition. His paper is published in the medical ethics journal Bioethics.