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Chinese scientist He Jiankui claims to have created the world's first genetically modified babies. ANTHONY WALLACE / AFP
The Chinese scientist, who claims to have created the world's first genetically modified babies, said Wednesday that the trial was suspended following international outcry over the controversial procedure.
He Jiankui defended his work in front of a busy biomedical conference in Hong Kong, claiming that he had succeeded in altering the DNA of binoculars born to a HIV-positive father, a first on the medical front.
A total of eight pairs of volunteers – HIV – positive fathers and HIV – negative mothers – were enrolled in the trial, with one of them having dropped out of school before his arrest.
He said that there had been "another potential pregnancy" involving a second couple, but that when asked questions, it was agreed that it was all about a chemical pregnancy – a term for a very early miscarriage.
"I have to apologize, the result was leaked unexpectedly," he said about the apparent breakthrough. "The clinical trial was halted because of the current situation," he added.
The conference was turned upside down by claims of genetic revelations from babies, after the university professor published a video claiming that the twin girls – born a few weeks ago – had their DNA modified to prevent them from contracting HIV.
This decision sparked a heated debate within the scientific community, raising many concerns about the lack of verified data and the risks of exposing healthy embryos to gene editing.
Editing human embryos can create unexpected mutations in other areas, called "untargeted effects," which can be preserved until birth, the experts warned.
But he went on stage Wednesday to justify his work and was bombarded with questions while he told the public that parents were aware of the potential dangers when they registered.
"The volunteers were informed of the risk posed by the existence of a potential off-target and decided to set up," he said.
He also stated that the university he was working in "did not know how the study was going".
The Southern University of Science and Technology, located in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen, had distanced himself from He, saying he had been on unpaid leave since February and had "seriously violated the law." Ethics and university codes of conduct ".
The organizers of the second International Summit on the Review of the Human Genome, which opened on Tuesday, also said they were unaware of He's work.
Conference moderator Robin Lovell-Badge said his trial was a "step backward" for the science sector, but he called the birth of babies "memorable".
"This is an example of an approach that was not sufficiently prudent and proportionate," he said.
"Clearly though, it's a point in history. . . These two babies would seem to be the first genetically modified babies. It is therefore an important historical moment. "
Summit Chairman David Baltimore, Nobel laureate, said that there had been a "failure of self-regulation on the part of the scientific community due to a lack of transparency" .
His request would be "considered irresponsible," said Baltimore.
He added that the DNA of the twins had been modified with the help of CRISPR, a technique that allows scientists to remove and replace a strand with extreme precision.
Gene editing is a potential solution for inherited diseases, but it is extremely controversial because the changes would be passed on to future generations and could potentially affect the entire gene pool.
In many countries, editing of human DNA is tightly controlled.
Ethical process bypassed
Qiu Renzong, former vice chairman of the ethics committee of the Chinese Ministry of Health, told reporters that weak regulations in China meant that scientists who break the rules are often not punished and believe that ministry is "without teeth".
The National Health Commission of China has ordered an "immediate investigation" into this case, reported the Xinhua official news agency, while the Shenzhen hospital was to have approved the research program that had been refused.
A union of Chinese scientists issued a statement in which he said he "would resolutely oppose so-called scientific research and applications of biotechnology that violate the spirit of science and technology." "Ethics," said Xinhua.
The case has damaged China's international reputation in the field, said the Chinese Union of Life Sciences Societies.
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