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A Chinese researcher who said he helped create the world's first genetically engineered babies announced Wednesday the possibility of a second pregnancy.
He Jiankui, a 34-year-old associate professor in Shenzhen, in the south of the country, revealed the possibility of a possible pregnancy in his first public statements about his controversial work at an international conference in Hong Kong.
He said he had modified the DNA of two twins born earlier this month to immunize them against the AIDS virus. The scientific community has condemned the experience, and universities and government groups are studying the situation.
The second possible pregnancy is in a very early phase and it takes longer to confirm whether it will continue, he said.
"Now more than ever, there is something to worry about"
After his conversation, great scientists said that there were now more reasons to worry and more questions than answers. The conference director described the experience as "irresponsible", pointing out that it was evidence that the scientific community had failed to self-regulate and avoid the first efforts to modify the DNA.
Modification of DNA before or at the time of conception is a highly controversial issue, as modifications can be inherited and can damage other genes. This practice is prohibited in some countries, including the United States, except in the case of laboratory research.
I've defended her choice of HIV instead of a deadly congenital disease to try genetic publishing, and I've insisted that girls can benefit from it.
"They need this protection because there is no vaccine available"said the researcher.
But scientists have not approved their approach.
"This is a really unacceptable advance," said Jennifer Doudna, a scientist at the University of California at Berkeley and one of the inventors of the CRISPR gene editing tool he used. that we have heard the answers. We need to understand the motivation for that. "
For the moment, there is no independent confirmation of He's claim, which has not yet published his research in a scientific journal where it could be tested by experts. During the conference, he refused to answer many questions, including who paid for the work, how he ensured that participants understood the risks and possible benefits and why he kept his work secret until his completion.
On Publimetro TV
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