CRISPR has received federal approval for its first human trials, though the editing will not be at the embryonic level.

A federal panel gave the go ahead to the study, which will remove, edit, and replace T-cells in humans today, though it still needs approval by both the hosting medical facilities and the FDA.

The initial study will seek to edit immune system genes to attack cancer cells and is not aimed at any embryonic functions. In other words: this isn’t approval for genetic editing of a yet-to-be-born person. If the study gets the final approvals, it will be funded by tech giant Sean Parker through his Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, which he started in April to combat cancer.

Source: Popular Science