Scientist announces first genetically modified babies immunized against HIV

Babies Lulu and Nana are the first babies genetically modified in humanity. This has been confirmed the scientific author from the experience, He Jiankui, at the Second International Congress on Genetic Publishing in Hong Kong.

RPP News' medical advisor, Elmer Huerta, told La Rotativa del Aire program that the scientific community initially did not believe him because the genetic researcher He had skipped all official channels of communication and announced his preliminary announcement via YouTube. and the Associated Press Agency. However, with his exposure to the second international congress, the perception has changed. Even the scientist has already announced that he was practicing the same genetic edition in another pregnancy.

The scientist asked the public to apologize for his lack of rigor in announcing the scientific feat, but justified his action by the pressure exerted by parents who wanted to let them know that their daughters were going to be the first babies would be born in the shelter of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)

What is the genetic edition?

When a sperm is combined with an egg, an egg is formed, it contains 23 chromosomes provided by the mother and father. That's why there are 46 chromosomes. In this total is content the human genome it has it all physical, intellectual, disease-prone, among other traits of the future person.

From the egg, they start to divide the cells that become the embryo, then the fetus and the baby is bornexplains Elmer Huerta.

Genetic editing occurs when the CRISPR method opens a chromosome and enters a gene. The scientist can replace it with another one or manipulate it so that a gene is disabled.

Well, in the case of Lulu and Nana girls, a gene whose function is "to open the door" has been disabled so that HIV enters the body. In this way, girls are forever immune to HIV and the descendants of girls will also inherit this genetic change, Huerta said.

The genetic result of the scientist He Jiankui "opens the door" to a new line of human beings already they are named "babies to conceive".