DESIGNER BABY FIRMS SHUT DOWN EMBRYO EDITING WORK

Bootstrap Bio and Manhattan Genomics have both shut down their operations, ending their respective efforts to develop human embryo editing technologies. The companies were among a small number of firms pursuing germline editing—modifications to embryos that would be inherited by future generations—primarily to prevent serious genetic conditions. The reasons behind the closures were not immediately detailed, but the exits underscore the commercial and regulatory challenges facing the embryo editing sector. The field has faced intense scrutiny from bioethicists, policymakers, and the public since Chinese scientist He Jiankui's 2018 announcement of the first gene-edited babies, which triggered global controversy and criminal charges against him. The U.S. and many other countries have restricted or banned germline editing in humans. While some researchers continue work on somatic gene therapy—editing non-reproductive cells—the commercial viability of human embryo editing remains highly uncertain.