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In a joint statement, the National Academy of Medicine and the Academy of Sciences express their concern after a Chinese scientist announced the birth of two genetically modified children.
A firm sentence. This is what emerges from a statement issued Wednesday, November 28 by the National Academy of Medicine and the Academy of Sciences, after the announcement by a Chinese researcher, the birth of two babies whose genome has been modified .
Modification of the genome, the urgency of an international regulation
"The National Academy of Medicine and the Academy of Sciences condemn the initiative of this scientist", can we read in this release. "The modification of the genome of human embryos raises major questions insofar as it will be transmitted to the offspring and subsequent generations", write also its authors.
Unverifiable badertion
On Monday, November 26, Hé Jiangkui, a researcher from the University of Shenzhen (southern China) announced the birth of two little girls whose genomes had been modified in the embryonic state. This doctor claims to have intervened on the gene CCR5, gateway of the AIDS virus, using a genetic manipulation technique called "Crispr-Cas9". And this, in order to make them resistant to the AIDS virus. A first scientist, but an unverifiable badertion, because this realization was not the subject of any publication in an independent review.
A few hours after the announcement of this announcement, the University of Shenzhen has disbadociated itself from his researcher, saying that he was on standby since February and until January 2021 and that these manipulations were done outside from his campus. On Wednesday, November 28, at an international summit on human genome editing held in Honk-Kong, the Chinese researcher said he was putting his research "on hold". In addition, China demanded Thursday, November 29, the suspension of the activities of scientists involved in this research.
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In addition, many researchers have real doubts about the veracity of the Chinese announcement. "There is no publication, we do not know the method used. It is not excluded that this is a bluff », explains to The cross Jean-Christophe Pagès, geneticist and chairman of the scientific council of the High Council of Biotechnologies.
In-depth public debate
Nevertheless, the condemnation of the National Academy of Medicine and the Academy of Sciences can not be reduced to a principled opposition to the birth of a child following the implantation of an embryo whose genome has has been modified.
They feel that "In the current state of knowledge, conditions are not in place to pave the way for the birth of children whose genomes have been modified in an embryonic state". "If this approach is undertaken in the future, it should only be done after approval of the project by the academic and ethical bodies concerned and a thorough public debate"they add.
Wolf Besmond de Senneville
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