China orders a scientific inquiry into allegations that a baby released by a gene is the first

Beijing has ordered the opening of an investigation into the claims of a Chinese scientist who would have created the first genetically modified babies in the world, an initiative that would be a first in the medical field, but it has attracted much criticism.

A video posted on YouTube by university professor He Jiankui said that the DNA of these binoculars, born a few weeks ago, had been altered to prevent them from contracting HIV, causing a heated debate within the scientific community.

While experts questioned the announced breakthrough and others described it as a modern form of eugenics, the National Health Commission of China has ordered an "immediate investigation" into the issue. 39; case. , the official Xinhua news agency reported on Tuesday, citing a statement on the NHC website.

The professor, trained at Stanford University in the United States, works from a laboratory in Shenzhen City, southern China, said that the twins' DNA had been modified with the help of CRISPR, a technique that allows scientists to remove and replace a strand with unparalleled precision.

Development appeared Sunday in an article published by the MIT Technology Review, a magazine specializing in the industry. , which referenced medical documents put online by the He research team to recruit couples for the experiments.

He stated that the babies, called "Lulu" and "Nana", although they are not their real names, were born from regular IVF, but using an egg that was specially modified before being inserted into the uterus.

"Immediately after sending sperm from her husband into the egg, an embryologist also sent the CRISPR / Cas9 protein along with instructions for a gene surgery operation to protect girls from the HIV infection, "he said.

Gene editing is a potential solution for hereditary diseases, but it is extremely controversial because the changes would be pbaded on to future generations. Finally, the MIT Technology Review warned that "technology is ethically charged"

The claims arrive before a world expert conference in Hong Kong this week, where it is expected to be expressed Wednesday. and Thursday.

But there is still no independent verification of his claims, which have not been published in a peer-reviewed journal – an omission that the scientist's critics have seized.

"Dangerous, irresponsible"

Research has been sharply criticized by Chinese scientists and institutions. The university in which he works has been on leave without pay since February and his research is a "serious violation of ethics and academic standards".

"This research work was done by Professor He Jiankui on the outside of the school". The South University of Science and Technology said Monday in a statement.

And a joint statement from a group of 100 scientists in China criticized the findings and called for better state legislation.

"This is a major blow to global reputation and the development of biomedical research in China," said the statement released on the Weibo social media platform.

"It is extremely unfair to the vast majority of Chinese academics who are diligent in scientific research and innovation."

around the world were also critical, some arguing that a YouTube video was an inadequate way to announce scientific results, and others warning that it was irresponsible to expose embryos and healthy children to genetic modification.

Professor Joyce Harper, Professor of Genetics and Human Embryology at UCL London, said: "The report released today on Genome Modification of Human Embryos for HIV resistance is premature, dangerous and irresponsible. "

The issue of editing human DNA is extremely controversial and allowed in the United States only as part of laboratory research – although US scientists announced last year that they have successfully published the genetic code for piglets to suppress dormant viral infections. 19659004] But this is not the first time that Chinese researchers are experimenting with the technology of the human embryo. Last September, scientists from Sun Yat-sen University used an adapted version of gene editing to correct a mutation causing disease in the human embryo.

There is also a history of fraud in the Chinese academic community, including a scandal last year that resulted in the removal of 100 "compromised" academic papers.

He Jiankui did not immediately react t

The request addressed to the organizers of the Hong Kong conference also did not answer the question and we do not know if they were at current of his work.

In a pre-recorded video on the website The conference website, biologist and international summit chairman David Baltimore, said: "We have never done anything that can change the genes of the human race and we We have never done anything that can have effects that will continue from generation to generation. " 19659004] (This story was not edited by NDTV staff and is generated automatically from a syndicated feed.)