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Chinese health authorities and medical ethics opened Monday an investigation into the allegations of a scientist who had posted videos on YouTube stating that he had altered the genes of twins born earlier this month, creating the first genetically modified babies.
The Southern University of Science and Technology in Shenzhen City, South China, where the scientist, He Jiankui, is an badociate professor, said he was not aware of the project and had been on leave without pay since February. He Jiankui defended what he claimed to have accomplished, claiming that he had proceeded to issue the gene to help protect babies from future AIDS virus infection. But his university called the incident a "serious violation of ethics and academic standards." The world has condemned it as monstrous and dangerous.
The university issued a statement after it said in five videos released Monday that it was using a gene editing technology known as CRISPR-Cas9 to publish the binoculars genes. said he was "very worried" and had ordered provincial health officials "to immediately investigate the case and clarify the situation".
"We must be responsible for the health of the people and act in accordance with the law," he told a statement. The Shenzhen Medical Ethics Committee said that he was investigating the case. The health commission of Guangdong Province is also addressing the issue, according to the Southern Metropolis Daily, a state-owned media outlet.
He stated in a YouTube video that the editing process, which he called gene surgery, "worked safely as expected" and that the resulting twins were "as healthy as all the other babies ". It was impossible to verify the statements because he did not provide any written documentation of his research. CRISPR-Cas9 is a technology that allows scientists to cut and glue DNA, which gives hope for genetic solutions to the disease. However, his security and ethics are also of concern.
"If true, this experience is monstrous," said Julian Savulescu, a specialist in the ethics of medicine at the British University of Oxford. London said: "If this is true … it would be a highly irresponsible, unethical and dangerous use of genome modification technology." The Chinese University of Science and Technology South says it would be on unpaid leave until 2021.
"A South University of Science and Technology strictly requires that research be in accordance with national laws and regulations, as well as international ethics and academic standards, "he said. Asked for his comment on the university statement, he said he had been on voluntary leave for several years. In the videos, he defended his work by saying, among other things: "I know that my work will be controversial, but I think families need this technology, d I'm willing to accept critics."
an email to Reuters, he had stated that he planned to share the test data at a scientific forum held this week. He added that he also foresaw that this procedure "goes through the process of peer review and pre-printing soon". A pre-print is a publication of the results obtained before the publication of the research in a peer-reviewed journal.
In a previous telephone interview and emails with Reuters, he stated that it was meant to confer on the gene-modified baby "a lifetime protection". "Against HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.He said that he had started work in the second half of 2017 and had recruited eight couples.All potential fathers involved were HIV-positive. implant embryos, including the parents of the twins, identified only by the pseudonyms Mark and Grace.The names of the babies are Lulu and Nana, he said in a video.
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