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China on Monday opened an unusual investigation after a scientist claimed to have in vitro fertilization with modified genes giving a baby resistant to the HIV virus, an experiment considered "dangerous" and "irresponsible".
He Jiankui professor at the University of Shenzhen, in southern China, published a video on YouTube announcing the birth of two twins a few weeks ago.
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After Chinese scientists and institutions received the announcement after much criticism, the National Health Commission in China ordered an "immediate investigation" into the case.
The Stanford-trained researcher in the United States, who runs a genome laboratory in Shenzhen, said he used the Crispr-Cas9 technique, called "Genetic Scissors" which removes and to replace unwanted parts of the genome, which corrects a computer failure.
Babies, called "Lula" and "Nana", were born from in vitro fertilization of a modified embryo before being implanted in the mother's womb. "Immediately after injecting the husband's sperm into the egg, an embryologist injected a Crispr-Cas9 protein to modify a gene to protect the girls from future HIV infection," He Jiankui said. .
Unverified Experience
Genetic modification of a DNA can be used to prevent diseases, but this practice is problematic because genetic modifications will be inherited from new generations and could involve a new form of eugenics.
The MIT Technology Review recalled that "technology has an ethical responsibility"
The announcement of this medical experiment occurred on the eve of the beginning of a genome experts conference in Hong Kong, at which time the Chinese researcher was to present your results in detail. However, after the criticism received, is not badured of his intervention in this congress of genetics.
This self-proclaimed medical experience has not been independently verified. The Chinese team did not publish its results in a scientific journal.
A "very problematic" practice
After the announcement, many Chinese scientists and organizations criticized this experiment.
The university in which he works reports that this has ceased to receive his salary since February and considers that the fertilization with modified genes represents "a violation of the ethical criteria of the academy and its standards ".
"This survey was the University of Science and Technology of the South said in a statement Monday.
A hundred Chinese scientists also issued a joint statement criticizing the experiment and calling for a change in legislation on in vitro fertilization
This medical experiment was known for some time, but no scientist has dared to use it since "na can predict the uncertain impact of these genetic changes", criticizes this group of scientists who believe that this has opened "a Pandora's box."
In addition, international researchers have criticized the fact that the announcement was made by a YouTube video
"Announce these results in a video on YouTube is a very problematic scientific practice, "said Nicholas Evans, professor of philosophy at the University of Mbadachusetts Lowell, United States, who works on bioethics issues.
"This removes the control processes on which many scientific advances, such as peer badessment, are based," he added, questioned by AFP.
Whether it is announced or not, the issue raises "serious ethical concerns," says Sarah Chan, of the University of Edinburgh, cited by the Science Media Center.
"It is irresponsible to make such claims, apparently to deliberately seek as much controversy as possible (…)," he added.
He Jiankui did not immediately answer questions from AFP.
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