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A scientist who claimed to have created the first genetically modified babies in the world at a conference in Hong Kong canceled a new conference and was sharply criticized Thursday by organizers, who called him irresponsible. .
He Jiankui had confided on Wednesday at a busy biomedical conference that he was "proud" of having succeeded in altering the DNA of binoculars born to an HIV-positive father, an apparent medical advance.
But the details of the experiment, which have not been independently verified, triggered an immediate reaction and he said the trial had been halted.
According to local media reports, the founder of a Beijing-based HIV support group said Thursday that he regretted having introduced families to the trial.
Bai Hua, the group leader, said that he had introduced his family's team to 50 families.
"At first we did not understand what they were really doing. Currently, my personal feeling is that they are a little crazy, "he told the TV channel RTHK.
Bai added that he had spoken to two of the families involved in the lawsuit and asked if the risks and ethical issues had been fully explained to them.
"The team always insisted that the chances of success were great and there were risks, but they were weak," he said. RTHK.
Professor He was supposed to speak again at the summit on Thursday, but he disappeared from the program.
David Baltimore, Nobel laureate and chairman of the organizing committee, told reporters that it was his decision not to attend.
The organizers of the second International Human Genome Summit have denounced it is "unexpected and deeply troubling" to state that human embryos have been edited and implanted, and called for closer monitoring of the field at the end of the conference on Thursday.
"Even if the changes were verified, the procedure was irresponsible and did not comply with international standards," they said in a statement.
"His defects include inadequate medical indication, a poorly designed study protocol, non-compliance with ethical standards for protecting the welfare of research subjects, and a lack of transparency in the development, revision, and conducting clinical procedures, "adds the text.
Impact for life
University professor He, based in Shenzhen, in southern China, said the DNA of twin girls, born a few weeks ago, have been modified to prevent them from contracting HIV.
Eight pairs of volunteers – HIV-positive fathers and HIV-negative mothers – enrolled in the trial, including one that was abandoned before being put on hold.
He said that there had been "another potential pregnancy" involving a second couple, but it is not clear if this pregnancy is still going on.
Experts have warned that modifying human embryos can create unexpected mutations in other areas, called "untargeted effects," that can have an impact throughout life.
The University of Science and Technology of the South distances itself from He, claiming that he had been on leave without pay since February and had "seriously violated university ethics."
Trained at Stanford University, he explained that twins' DNA had been modified using CRISPR, a technique that allows scientists to remove and replace a strand with extreme precision.
Technology co-creator, Jennifer Doudna, said she felt "horrified" to hear about His, adding that she felt deeply concerned for the affected people and wondered if they really understood the procedure.
Summit organizers said that germline genome modification could become "acceptable" in the future if rigorous criteria are met, including "strict and independent supervision".
However, they added that there were too many scientific and technical uncertainties to allow clinical trials at this stage.
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