More than half of UK adults support the idea of using genome editing to prevent severe diseases, according to the Guardian.
It adds that the poll, commissioned by the Progress Educational Trust and conducted by Ipsos, found that 53 percent of respondents supported the use of genome editing to prevent the development of serious conditions like cystic fibrosis among children. Respondents, the Guardian notes, were less supportive of using genome editing to prevent more mild conditions like asthma.
The poll also uncovered differences in responses by age, as younger age groups were more likely to support the use of genome editing for traits like height or eye color, the Guardian says, adding that 38 percent of 16- to 24-year-olds and 31 percent of 25- to 34-year-olds supported such uses.
"It is worth paying attention to these views, but we should continue to prioritize medical needs in the first instance," the report's authors write, according to the Guardian.