[ad_1]
Around the world, Chinese researcher He Jiankui, who claims to have genetically modified a human embryo with CRISPR-Cas, claims to have been dismayed. From this, two healthy girls would be born.
He Jiankui has it on his lab's website and on YouTube videos about a couple, Grace and Mark, to whom IVF is applied. Mark would be HIV positive. Immediately after in vitro fertilization, a gene (CCR5) would have been inactivated with CRISPR-Cas technology, so that the HIV virus can no longer enter the cell. Subsequently, the modified embryo was replaced. Sequencing before placement, during pregnancy and after birth would show that the resulting genome of the two girls, Lulu and Nana, changed only in the desired gene. According to him, such a procedure took place in five parents (in all cases, the father is HIV positive). The way the other four media were unpacked is unclear.
In the video He Jiankui stresses that parents interested in this technique do not want a baby designer and that he thinks that genetic modification for hair color or IQ should not be allowed . He also understands that his work will be controversial, but believes that families need this technology to give their children the opportunity to lead healthy lives. He is ready to receive criticism.
And he receives this criticism. Monotonous, irresponsible, unethical, dangerous, not to explain: these are terms that scientists around the world have abandoned for their claims. The university where he worked was taken away from him. A Chinese regulator has expressed great concern and investigation into the case. The international community of stem cell researchers, the ISSCR, is reacting negatively. As agreed, laboratory tests on germ line cells should be possible under strict conditions and surveillance, but it is too early to use this technique in clinical settings as the risks are uncertain. It is not for nothing that this club decided a few years ago to wait with these applications.
Incidentally, the choice of the CCR5 gene is controversial in itself: without intervention, the girls – assuming that they exist – would be in good health. At best, they are now protected against HIV, a disease that can also be prevented by other means. In the worst case, they are unprotected and cause unwanted side effects.
Read also
Source link
