China interrupts team work on genetically modified babies

The Chinese government orders the interruption of the work of a medical team that claimed to have helped create the world's first gene-modified gene babies, while a group of prominent scientists said that it was still too early to attempt to make permanent changes to the DNA that could be inherited by future generations.

Chinese Vice Minister of Science and Technology, Xu Nanping, told CCTV state television that his ministry strongly opposed the efforts to produce binoculars born earlier this month. Xu called the team shares illegal and unacceptable and said that an investigation had been ordered, but made no mention of specific actions taken.

The researcher He Jiankui claims to have altered the DNA of the twins to try to make them resistant to infection with the AIDS virus. The mainstream scientists have condemned the experiment, and universities and government groups are conducting research.

His experience "crossed the line of morality and ethics that adhered to the academic community and was shocking and unacceptable," Xu said.

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A group of leading scientists gathered this week in Hong Kong for an international conference on gene editing, the opportunity to rewrite the code of life to try to correct or prevent disease.

Although science is promising to help people already born and studies are underway, a statement released Thursday by the 14-member conference states that it's irresponsible to try eggs, sperm or embryos, except in the laboratory, because we do not know enough yet. about its risks or safety.

The conference was shaken by the Chinese researcher's assertion of having contributed to the creation of the first baby in the world to be edited by a gene. The conference leaders called for an independent investigation into He's complaint, which came to the group on Wednesday as international criticism of his complaint escalated.

There is no independent confirmation of what he says he did. He was scheduled to speak again at the conference on Thursday, but he left Hong Kong and through a spokesman said, "I will stay in China, my home country. , and I will cooperate fully with all inquiries regarding my work.My raw data be made available to third parties for review. "

Several leading scientists said the case was a failure of the police on the ground and the need for stricter principles or regulations.

"It's not unreasonable to expect the scientific community to follow the guidelines," said David Baltimore, Nobel laureate of the California Institute of Technology, who led the panel.

Some rules should have already prevented what he said, said Alta Charo, a lawyer and bioethicist from the University of Wisconsin and a conference organizer.

"I think the failure was his, not the scientific community," said Charo.

Genetic editing for reproductive purposes may be considered in the future "but only when urgent medical needs are needed", with a clear understanding of the risks and benefits, as well as certain other conditions, Dr. Victor Dzau, President of the US National Academy of Medicine. one of the sponsors of the conference.

"Failure to follow these guidelines would be irresponsible," he added.

The Hong Kong Academy of Sciences, the Royal Society of the United Kingdom, the US National Academy of Sciences, and the US National Academy of Sciences also sponsored this three-day conference.