Scientist Who Edited Babies’ Genes Admits He Moved Too Quickly
The scientist who made headlines for editing the genes of twin Chinese girls says he regrets acting too quickly on the controversial project.
Chinese Officials Rejected the Experiment
When Chinese scientist He Jiankui announced that he had successfully used CRISPR-Cas9 technology to edit the embryo DNA of twin baby girls in an attempt to make them immune to HIV infection, the reaction was mixed. While some applauded He Jiankui’s bold step in pursuing the new technology, Chinese officials outright rejected the experiment and ordered a formal investigation into He’s activities.
He Jiankui Admits Acting Too Quickly
In a new statement, He Jiankui admits to acting too quickly on the controversial project that has stirred up debate around the world. He suggests that there were too many risks associated with the gene-editing experiment on human embryos that had not been sufficiently explored, and concedes that the project might not have gone ahead had all the potential risks been considered beforehand.
The Potential Risks of Experimenting on Human Embryos
The potential risks of experimentation on human embryos are vast and far-reaching. These include:
- Using gene-editing technology to alter an embryo would be inherited by successive generations and could have unpredictable consequences.
- Unexpected mutations could occur due to the complexity of DNA.
- This technology could be used to create “designer babies” – a potential form of discrimination.
- It could lead to the medicalization of human traits, such as intelligence, beauty or athletic abilities.
It is clear that further research and discussion must take place before attempting any further gene-editing on human embryos.
Conclusion
He Jiankui’s admission that he acted too quickly in pursuing the gene-editing project on two Chinese girls shows that such experiments should not be undertaken lightly. The potential risks of such experiments are worrying and must be thoroughly discussed before any future attempts are made.
A Chinese scientist whose controversial experiment to edit the genetic code of two human embryos generated widespread attention has declared that he “acted too quickly”.
Dr. He Jiankui, a former postdoctoral student of Stanford University and an associate professor at the Southern University of Science and Technology in Shenzhen, this week admitted that his experiment was premature and had not been approved by his peers nor ethical oversight boards.
Dr. He was responding to criticism from the Chinese regulators, whose investigation into his work concluded that it had “violated Chinese regulations and breached international ethical standards”.
The doctor had previously said his experiment aimed to prevent the unborn babies from contracting HIV from their father. To do this, he used techniques involving “CRISPR-Cas9,” a revolutionary gene-editing technology that allows for the editing of genomes with specific gene sequences.
Upon learning of the announcement, many scientists from around the world openly expressed their concern and disapproval, prompting both the heads of the Southern University of Science and the Minister of Science and Technology of China to detail the consequences for Dr. He’s experiment.
Dr. He acknowledged that moving ahead with the experiment was “premature” and has now promised to be more transparent with his scientific findings. He also expressed his sympathies to those who were offended by his research and announced that he would be more judicious and thorough in any future experiments similar to this one.
Ultimately, Dr. He’s research has generated a worldwide conversation, one that has highlighted the technical complexity and ethical implications of the gene-editing technology, and one that has illustrated the importance of doing research with the utmost scrutiny.
