The world is not yet ready for genetically modified babies: scientists

HONG KONG – A group of renowned scientists said that it was still too early to try to make permanent changes to the DNA that could be pbaded on to future generations, as claimed by a Chinese researcher.

Scientists gathered this week in Hong Kong for an international conference on gene editing, the opportunity to rewrite the code of life to try to correct or prevent disease.

Although science is promising to help people already born, a statement released Thursday by the 14-member conference, stating that it's irresponsible to try on eggs, sperm or embryos, Is not yet known in terms of risk or safety.

The conference was shaken by the Chinese researcher's badertion of having contributed to the creation of the first baby in the world to be edited by a gene, binoculars, he said, were born earlier this year. month. The conference leaders called for an independent investigation into the complaint of He Jiankui, from Shenzhen, who spoke to the group on Wednesday as international critics on the issue grew louder.

Several leading scientists said the case was a failure of the police on the ground and the need for stricter principles or regulations.

Some rules should have already prevented this, said Alta Charo, a lawyer and bioethicist at the University of Wisconsin and conference organizer.

"I think the failure was his, not the scientific community," said Charo.

The three-day conference was sponsored by the Hong Kong Academy of Sciences, the Royal Society of the United Kingdom, the US National Academy of Sciences, and the US National Academy of Medicine.