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The second International Summit on the Modification of the Human Genome, being held this week in Hong Kong, was supposed to bring together researchers and health professionals to promote scientific and ethical standards for genetic modification. Instead, he was plunged into chaos after a Chinese scientist claimed to have gone ahead with his own attempt at genetic modification of human embryos, some of which have already been completed, which gave birth to the first genetically modified humans.
The man at the center of the controversy, He Jiankui, has presented unverified research in which he claims to have modified the genes of human embryos to make them resistant to HIV. Two babies, a pair of binoculars, are already born and others would be on the way.
As you can imagine, this is not what the organizers of the summit had in mind.
The ethical implications of modifying genes in humans have been the subject of intense debate for many years, but the emergence of CRISPR gene modification technology has made the task of researchers easier. They want it.
Most scientists in the field, however, have chosen not to take the plunge and begin work on human embryos with the intention of producing modified babies. He, who would have been suspended from his post at the Southern University of Science and Technology since February this year, knows the positions of his many peers and still did.
For lack of a better term, he became a thug.
With so many genetics researchers in the same place this week, the reviews of his work have been quick but vary little. The genetic modification, if this has actually been done as he claims, has been universally disavowed and the event organizers themselves have treated the controversy in a lengthy statement.
At this summit, we heard an unexpected and deeply disturbing statement that human embryos had been edited and implanted, resulting in pregnancy and the birth of twins. We recommend an independent evaluation to verify this badertion and determine if the claimed DNA changes have taken place. Although the changes were verified, the procedure was irresponsible and did not comply with international standards. Its shortcomings include inadequate medical indication, poorly designed study protocol, non-respect of ethical standards for the protection of the welfare of research subjects, and lack of transparency in the development, revision and implementation of research. conducting clinical procedures.
If it's not clear in the paragraph above, these scientists are not happy and they have many reasons to be upset.
Since the beginning, many who work in the field of genetics have had to fight not only against the laws of nature, but also against public opinion. The idea of genetically modified humans is, in simple terms, pretty scary. That's why summits like this week are being organized so scientists can work together to define rules on how to use such incredible power over life.
A scientist breaking up with his peers and editing human embryos with little concern for potential consequences is the worst case scenario for everyone on the ground. We do not know what the weeks and months to come will bring, but it is safe to say that these waters are unexplored for all concerned.
Image Source: HelloRF / Shutterstock
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