A scientist claims he helped create the world’s first genetically-modified babies during laboratory work in China.
The DNA of twin girls was altered with a powerful new tool capable of rewriting the very blueprint of life, researcher Dr He Jiankui says.
He said his goal was not to cure or prevent an inherited disease, but to try to bestow a trait that few people naturally have – an ability to resist possible future infection with HIV, the AIDS virus.
However, many mainstream scientists think it is too unsafe to try, and this kind of gene editing is banned in Britain and in the United States because the DNA changes can pass to future generations and risks harming other genes.
The researcher, He Jiankui of Shenzhen, said he altered embryos for seven couples during fertility treatments, with one pregnancy resulting thus far.
He unveiled his research on Monday in Hong Kong to one of the organisers of an international conference on gene editing that is set to begin on Tuesday.
“I feel a strong responsibility that it’s not just to make a first, but also make it an example,” Mr He told the AP.
“Society will decide what to do next” in terms of allowing or forbidding such science, he added.
Some scientists were astounded to hear of the claim and strongly condemned it.
It is “unconscionable … an experiment on human beings that is not morally or ethically defensible”, said Dr Kiran Musunuru, a University of Pennsylvania gene editing expert and editor of a genetics journal.
Editing sperm, eggs or embryos is different – the changes can be inherited. China outlaws human cloning but not specifically gene editing.
AP
Emeh Achanga,the CEO of the Miss Petite Nigeria Brand is a lawyer turned blogger. She is very passionate about writing, with several publications and awards to her credit .She is currently working on publishing a collection of short stories which are basically a memoir about her exciting true experiences.
