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Published: 28/11/2018 07:25
EFE
Chinese scientist He Jiankui presents his work at the Second International Summit of Human Genome Publishing at the University of Hong Kong
He also claimed that there is already another woman pregnant with an embryo whose genes have been modified.
Chinese scientist He Jiankui justified the "validity" of having created the first genetically modified babies in the world without any institutional support and announced that another woman pregnant with an embryo whose genes also had was modified
announced on Monday that he had used the CRISPR / Cas9 technique with two twins to make them resistant to diseases such as HIV. revelation that sparked controversy and doubts of public opinion and the Chinese and foreign scientific community.
The scientist had planned in advance to attend a symposium on human genome editing at the University of Hong Kong, which was now of great academic and media interest on the campus of the university where the conference was held.
"The study yielded effective results and a
The geneticist – who admitted that his experience had not been approved by any official institution – said that the genetically modified twins supposedly, Lulu and Nana , "were born healthy and happy", thanks to in vitro fertilization with a technology of genetic modification "that will prevent them from being infected with HIV".
He then announces that he will take a break in his clinical trials "because of the controversies" that excited
"All agitation is due to the filtering of information about my study," he said, who arrived "at the university. "advance", while the moderator of the conference, Robin Lovell-Badge, confirmed that the organizers
The scientist was "proud" of the use of the CRISPR / Cas9 gene editing technique and emphasized that the study was not aimed at eliminating gen ticks, but "to give girls the opportunity" to resist a possible HIV infection. "
"Although HIV treatment has progressed, new infections remain a problem for many countries, especially the least developed ones," he added.
He explained that he had experienced seven couples whose one of their members was infected with HIV and had announced that there was at least one pregnancy between them "in its infancy" and others more "possible".
"We worked with seven couples in the man so carries the AIDS virus and the woman does not," he said, stating that he had used up to eleven embryos in six attempts to implant.
Quite loosely, he indicated that he had himself funded the experiment, that "he n & # 39; He was not secretly taken away "and that he informed scientists from China, the United States and the United Kingdom, although he did not mention any names.
"There are people who need help and we have technology," he said, noting that parents were aware of the risks badociated with the experiment and agreed.
He also thanked the University of Science and Technology of South Shenzhen City with which he was working "even though they did not know" what he was.
Monday, the same university has announced that she would investigate the scientist and said that she felt "deeply shocked by the case", which she described as "a serious violation of ethics and academic standards ". "
At the same time, the Chinese authorities announced today that they were" very concerned "by this case and that they would" treat "it seriously as soon as they clarify. what happened
Chinese Deputy Minister of Science and Technology Xu Nanping He reminded the press that China limits in vitro research on human embryonic stem cells to 14 days maximum, according to ethical guidelines published in 2003.
More than 120 academics from the Chinese scientific community said Monday statement published on Sina Weibo, the Chinese equivalent of Twitter, that "any attempt" to alter human embryos by Genetic modification bias is "crazy" and giving birth to these babies is "high risk."
On a global scale, Nature magazine took part in the debate on Monday and said it was nnonce had caused a "scandal" among the international scientific community and that, if true, it would represent a significant leap forward. Using the modification of the human genome "
Nature pointed out that this type of tool was only used to study its advantages for the elimination of pathogenic mutations, adding that the scientific community" asked for a long time "the creation of ethical principles, long before such cases occur
EFE
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