Crispr-Discoverer criticizes genetic tests on babies | TIME ONLINE

It is becoming increasingly clear that what has really happened was announced Monday by the Chinese scientist He Jiankui, without scientific publication: the first babies whose genome was born before birth at the time of birth. help of a method of genetic engineering. CRISPR/ Cas9 has been changed, are born. On Wednesday, he also announced at a congress in Hong Kong that another woman with a
pregnant with this scissors gene changed from embryo. the
Science must do more to help people with disease, he said
He. Researchers around the world have strongly criticized the scientist for this ethical border crossing.

Emmanuelle Charpentier, one of the discoverers of the mechanism Crispr / Cas9 at the origin of the method, also commented critically. She was "very worried about this news", which she surprisingly encountered, said the microbiologist in a statement entitled ZEIT ONLINE. "Although we have not yet seen any scientific evidence, such as an article published in a magazine that allegedly followed the peer review process, He Jiankui has clearly crossed a red line," he said. said the director of the Max Planck Institute. for the biology of infections in Berlin with. This is overtaken by the mere fact that he ignored the concerns of the international community of researchers – regarding the safety of such technology, when applied to the human germ line.

Other important developers of gene scissors have also distanced themselves from experiments on embryos. Of these, the former colleague of Charpentier, the
The American researcher Jennifer Doudna and Feng Zhang, who are currently competing for a patent on the rights of the method with the two explorers.

The He Jiankuis Lecture at the Genomforscher Congress in Hong Kong was the first public appearance of the researcher so far largely unknown,
since he had broadcast a video on hate on YouTube on Monday. Had in
he announced the birth of the first genetically modified babies, Lulu and Nana. He had interventions on embryos with the still young gene scissors
Crispr / Cas9 (With this in mind, ZEIT ONLINE explains the Crispr method, its applications and their consequences). The genetic modification must be that of the babies whose scientist has the identity
want to keep the secret, thus making the AIDS virus resistant to HIV.

A majority of leading researchers doubt the medical value of these trials, as HIV transmission to the unborn child can be prevented by other means and the infection is well treated. . Experts point out
Risks for both girls and their offspring that may result from the intervention of their genetic material. Meanwhile, he said that he had some research papers at a
Journal submitted. At the same time, he stated that his research was
unexpected escape to the public. It's all the more
more amazing than that, he said in a speech on YouTube
just before the start of the congress itself had spread.

the
experiences were the dominant theme. "He's in a big room
The university spoke, and it was up to the last
complete, "said biochemist Ernst-Ludwig Winnacker, who attended the congress
the German Press Agency. "He did a good job
Print prepared and appeared very confident. "At the conference
He reiterated that he had several childless couples of a healthy mother
and bring an HIV-infected father to participate in the experiments.
In the end, one of the couples had twins. "On this particular
I'm really proud of that, "he said.

He pointed out that he had before
successful experiments on mice and monkeys. To the
According to his own statements, he had the so-called human embryos
The CCR5 receiver of disabled cells, the main gateway of the
HI virus. "Millions of people" could be helped if the
Technology made available faster, he argued. she
It's not about creating designer babies, but about healing
diseases.

Participants in the Hong Kong conference also criticized He. "The atmosphere was very negative,"
Winnacker reported. "I did not meet anyone who tried to do it
from He. "The American virologist and Nobel laureate David Baltimore
said that Chinese work was irresponsible and medical
not necessary. The case shows that "self-regulation of
Science "failed.

other
Researchers accused Hong Kong of being "intransparent"
Try to jeopardize the reputation of the entire genome research. the
The researchers apparently had neither the Chinese authorities nor its
The Shenzhen City University informed about his experiences. the
Chinese government claims to have an audit of
Arranged experiments.