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A Chinese researcher said on Monday that he had had in vitro fertilization with modified genes giving rise to HIV-resistant twins, an announcement that sparked ethical criticism for an act considered "dangerous" and "dangerous". irresponsible".
He Jiankui, professor at the University of Shenzhen, in southern China, He posted on YouTube a video announcing the birth, a few weeks ago, of two twins whose DNA was modified to resist the AIDS virus. He said the father is HIV positive.
The Stanford-based researcher in the United States, who runs a genome laboratory in Shenzhen, said he used the Crispr-Cas9 technique, called "genetic scissors", to remove and replace unwanted parts of the genome. genome, like correcting an error in a computer.
The babies, called "Lula" and "Nana", are born from in vitro fertilization of a modified embryo before being implanted in the mother's womb.
"Just 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 explained.
The 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.
The MIT Technology Review recalled that "technology has an ethical responsibility".
The announcement of this medical experiment came on the eve of the beginning of a global genome experts conference in Hong Kong, during which the Chinese researcher was to present his findings in detail.
However, after the criticisms received, his intervention in this congress of genetics is not guaranteed.
This self-proclaimed medical experience has not been independently verified. The Chinese team did not publish its findings in a scientific journal.
A "very problematic" experience
After the announcement, many Chinese scientists and organizations criticized this experience.
The university in which he works reports that he stopped receiving his salary since February and felt that fertilization with modified genes represented "a violation of the ethical standards of the academy and its standards. ".
"This research was conducted outside of the university," said Monday the University of Science and Technology South in a statement.
About 100 Chinese scientists have also issued a joint statement criticizing the experiment and calling for changes to the legislation on in vitro fertilization.
In addition, international researchers have criticized the fact that the announcement was made via a video on YouTube.
"The announcement of these results in a video on YouTube is a very problematic scientific practice", Nicholas Evans, professor of philosophy at the University of Mbadachusetts in the United States, who is working on bioethics issues.
"This takes us away from the control processes that are the basis of many scientific advances, such as peer review," he added.
Whether it is announced or not, the issue raises "serious ethical issues," says Sarah Chan, of the University of Edinburgh, cited by the Science Media Center.
"Making such statements, apparently deliberately seeking maximum controversy (…), is irresponsible," he added.
He Jiankui did not immediately respond to AFP's questions.
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