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Shanghai (China) – The Chinese researcher who confirmed the birth of the first two genetically modified children in the world defended his work but announced a "temporary suspension" after a wave of international criticism sparked by his remarks.
At the second international conference on gene modification in Hong Kong, Hu Jianqui, a professor at the University of Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, repeated that his experiments had led to the birth of two binoculars, which have changed their DNA to immunize against HIV.
But this first detailed presentation of his work, which has not yet been independently verified, provoked sharp criticism from experts who denounced a "moral vice".
"I will temporarily suspend clinical trials because of the current situation," said the researcher who runs a laboratory in Schengen at the conference. But I am proud of this particular situation. "
The two children, Lulu and Nana, were born a few weeks ago, she said.
"Eight couples with a positive father and a healthy mother volunteered to participate in the experiment, but one of the couples then retired."
He noted that there was "another pregnancy" with other couples and then hinted that the pregnancy ended with an abortion.
Shenzhen Harmonecker Hospital, which is listed in China's online clinical trial registry, has denied moral agreement to the Jianqui genetics experiment or participated in clinical operations related to "genetically modified children".
Harmonicecker Medical Holdings issued a statement in which he was suspected of falsifying the signatures on the document posted on the Internet, stating that "the hospital's medical ethics committee has held no meetings at all. this subject".
The South University of Science and Technology, where he works as an adjunct professor, said that she was not aware of the research project and that she was in. unpaid leave since February.
Technology (CRISPER-CAS 9) cuts and copies genetic DNA, which offers hope for genetic repair for disease prevention.
Xu Nanping, vice minister of Science and Technology, told reporters that he was "very shocked" to learn what he had said, adding that the tests had been banned since 2003. He said the details were not yet clear. "We do not know if his work is real or presumed.If that is true, it is definitely banned in China."
The National Health Commission of China said that she was "very concerned" and ordered county health officials "to investigate immediately and clarify the situation". More than 100 Chinese researchers also condemned, in an open letter, that the use of Crysis-K9 technology to alter the genes of the human embryo was risky and unjustified and damaged the reputation and development of biomedical medicine. in China.
In online videos, genealogist Giancoi defended his so-called genetic modification of twins in his mother's womb to protect him from the HIV virus.
"They opened the gates of hell," said the scientists in their speech, published by the Chinese news website Bieber. There may still be a glimmer of hope to close it before it's too late. "
"The bioethical examination of this so-called scholarly research is only nominative," said about 120 scholars in the speech written in Chinese. Direct experiences on humans can only be described as madness. "
Yang Qin Gang, a professor at Fudan University, told Reuters that he had signed the letter because the genetic modification was "very dangerous."
"It behaves individually," said the Chinese Society of Genetics and the Chinese Society for Stem Cell Research in a statement stating that its work involves "serious risks to the integrity of the entities in question".
"We believe that his research contrasts with the Chinese rules and the consensus reached by the international scientific community," the two organizations said in a statement posted on the Internet.
CRISPER-CAS 9 technology allows scientists to cut and copy DNA, raising the hope of genetic reform to prevent disease, but safety and ethics raise many concerns.
The Chinese researcher "He" announced that he had managed, for the first time in his history, to modify the genes of two newborns. According to a video posted on YouTube, the two babies, Lulu and Nana, "arrived in the world a few weeks ago and are screaming and are as healthy as any other baby".
The researcher confirmed the success of the genetic surgery and pointed out that "no gene has been modified except for the person responsible for the prevention of HIV infection". The identities of the two children and their parents were concealed, but "he" simply stated that the father was infected with the virus and wanted his children not to be discriminated against.
Researchers fear that embryonic genetic modification technologies will be used to change offspring and differentiate humans
Peter Dabruk, chairman of the German Ethics Council, called the work "irresponsible experiences on humans" and stressed that it was difficult to predict and control the side effects and subsequent genetic modification.
It should be noted that a number of studies have previously concluded that the success of genetic engineering experiments in the modification of infected genes and their conversion to other healthy organisms, but these experiments have been reserved for animals while continuing to prohibit human activities. Researchers led by Dr. William Biranto, of the Philadelphia Children's Hospital, have been successful in correcting genetic problems in mice before they were born.
According to a study published in Nature Medicine, researchers used a form of Cresper gene modification tool to induce a mutation in the gene that could cause fatal liver failure in mice. Although this approach may work with mice after birth, the US study has shown that it is also possible to perform prenatal adjustment, but scientists have confirmed that it will take some time before it is ready to be used with humans.
Robin Lovell Badge, head of stem cell biology and developmental genetics at the Francis Creek Institute in London, has praised this study. "These are important experiments that demonstrate the principle that it is possible to avoid genetically inherited liver diseases by correcting the defect before the effects of the mutation can weaken the liver function of the newborn." he declared. But he added that it should be emphasized that the study had been conducted on rats, adding that translation of any approach to gene therapy for human embryos would pose significant problems.
There has been a debate to date on the possibility of modifying human genes. A study conducted in Britain concluded that "there is no good reason to prevent genetic modification of human embryos," but noted that appropriate measures must be identified to do it.
Karen Yueng, head of the Novellid Bioethics Council study team, said such practices could have "long-term, deep, and long-term effects on society." UK law currently prohibits genetic modification of human embryos except in some research studies. For example, scientists can genetically alter abortive embryos resulting from IVF that have not been successful provided they are discarded immediately after the search.
"There is an international ban on genetic engineering practices to improve human offspring 30 years ago," said David King, president of Human Genetics Inc.
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