On Jan 21, 2018, The Wall Street Journal reported that 86 people in China have had their genes edited using CRISPR/Cas9.

In April 2015, Chinese scientists reported results of an attempt to alter the DNA of non-viable human embryos using CRISPR/Cas9 to correct a mutation that causes β-thalassemia. The study had previously been rejected by both Nature and Science in part because of ethical concerns. The experiments resulted in changing only some genes, and had off-target effects on other genes. The researchers stated that CRISPR/Cas9 is not ready for clinical application in reproductive medicine.

In April 2016, Chinese scientists were reported to have made a second unsuccessful attempt to alter the DNA of non-viable human embryos using CRISPR/Cas9 - this time to alter the CCR5 gene to make the embryo HIV resistant.

Heritable modifications could have unintended and far-reaching consequences for human evolution, genetically (e.g. gene/environment interactions) and culturally (e.g. Social Darwinism). Altering of gametocytes and embryos to generate inheritable changes in humans was defined to be irresponsible.