What do we know about the birth of genetically modified twins?



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The Chinese scientist He Jiankui, a professor at the University of Shenzhensur, posted on YouTube a video announcing the birth of two twins a few weeks ago, "Lula" and "Nana" whose DNA has been modified to resist the AIDS virus. He said the father was HIV positive.

Babies are born from in vitro fertilization of a modified embryo before being implanted in the mother's uterus.

To modify them genetically, it would have been used. the technique Crispr-Cas9 called "genetic scissors", which allows to remove and replace unwanted parts of the genome, a flaw being corrected in a computer.

– "The announcement of these results in a video on YouTube is a very problematic scientific practice, which distances the control processes upon which many scientific advances, such as the evaluation by pairs."
Nicholas Evans, professor of philosophy at the University of Mbadachusetts Lowell, United States, who works on topics in bioethics.

– Whether verified or not, the subject raises "serious ethical concerns". To make such claims, apparently deliberately seeking maximum controversy (…) is irresponsible. "
Sarah Chan, of the University of Edinburgh, cited by the Science Media Center.

With information from the AFP

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