# PaSAGE: PAtient Supported Approaches to Gene Editing

> **NIH NIH R01** · MAYO CLINIC  JACKSONVILLE · 2024 · $210,041

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
The development of new methods for prenatal genetic editing in humans has accelerated the translation of
technologies designed to disrupt disease mechanisms or remove disease-causing mutations entirely. These
technologies show promise for preemptively addressing previously intractable genetic conditions. However,
recent events have demonstrated considerable gaps in the governance structure surrounding human gene
editing and its translation to clinical practice. Since the discovery that a scientist in China had conducted human
experiments allegedly resulting in the birth of three genetically edited children, numerous calls have been made
for a novel governance structure for prenatal human gene editing, frequently framed around moratoria or other
forms of suppression, and several international bodies have convened. There has been strong pressure towards
a values-based governance approach that moves beyond traditional technocratic considerations of safety and
efficacy and takes into account collective normative deliberation about the ethics of prenatal intervention. This is
challenging in the United States context, which is among the few high-income countries without centralized
regulation of research on embryos and/or translational assisted reproductive technologies. As such, two
important stakeholder voices have been largely left out of conversations around the future of prenatal gene
editing in the US context: the patients and families that might be benefitted or harmed by the translation of
prenatal gene editing and the scientists and clinicians who would be on the front lines of clinical translation were
it to move forward. We propose to fill this gap by conducting empirical research with these key stakeholders that
assesses potential governance approaches internationally and explores how they may be implemented in an
United States context. The goal is to move past generalizations to explore the direct policy mechanisms that are
feasible while incorporating the values and priorities of end users.
This study consists of three aims. The first two, contemporaneous, aims will consist of qualitative research with
two sets of stakeholders: patients and families affected by genetic conditions potentially addressable through
prenatal gene editing and clinicians and scientists involved in relevant translational and clinical activities in this
space. In Aim 1, We will begin by conducting a review of the international science policy landscape to gather
policy mechanisms that have been proposed or implemented to manage emerging technologies in the
reproductive science, genetics, and regenerative medicine spaces. We will identify policies that fall into a
spectrum from permissive to restrictive. These policies will be shared with stakeholders during qualitative
interviews to assess their concordance with stakeholder values and priorities. We will recruit a diverse cohort of
clinicians and scientist leaders from 20 key professional s...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 11076897
- **Project number:** 3R01HG011461-03S1
- **Recipient organization:** MAYO CLINIC  JACKSONVILLE
- **Principal Investigator:** Megan A. Allyse
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $210,041
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2022-09-23 → 2025-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/11076897

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 11076897, PaSAGE: PAtient Supported Approaches to Gene Editing (3R01HG011461-03S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-21 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/11076897. Licensed CC0.

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