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BEIJING / SHANGHAI • Chinese officials and scientists have denounced the claims of a geneticist who would have created the first gene-modified babies, and a hospital linked to his research suggested that his ethical approval was forged.
More than 100 scientists said yesterday in an open letter that the use of Crispr-Cas9 technology to alter human embryo genes was risky, unjustified and harmed the reputation and development of the biomedical community by China.
In videos published online, scientist He Jiankui defended what he said to have accomplished: the editing of embryonic genes to protect the twin babies born this month from infection by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) at the origin of the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.
"The Pandora's Box has been opened, we may still have a glimmer of hope to close it before it's too late," the scientists said in a letter, a copy of which was published. by the Chinese news site The Paper.
"The biomedical evaluation of this so-called research only exists in name. The conduct of direct human experiences can only be described as crazy," said the 120 scientists about in the letter. Chinese language.
Professor Yang Zhengang of Fudan University told Reuters that he had signed the letter because the modification of the gene was "very dangerous".
The Chinese Society of Genetics and the Chinese Society for Stem Cell Research stated in a statement that Dr. He had acted as "individual" and that his work posed "enormous risks to the safety of research subjects ".
"We believe that Dr. He's research is strongly opposed to both the Chinese regulations and the consensus reached by the international scientific community," the two groups said in a statement posted online.
Crispr-Cas9 is a technology that allows scientists to cut and glue DNA, which gives hope for genetic solutions to the disease. But his security and ethics are also of concern.
Dr. He, who was educated at Stanford University in the United States, is expected to speak today at a summit on changing the human genome at the University of New York. University of Hong Kong.
Shenzhen Harmonicare Hospital, listed in China's online clinical trial registry, gave ethical approval of Dr. He's experience and denied having participated in clinical operations involving "genetically modified babies" .
The signatures on the online form were believed to have been falsified and "no relevant meeting of the hospital's medical ethics board took place," said Harmonicare Medical Holdings, a Hong Kong-listed company, a statement.
The University of Southern Science and Technology, where Dr. He is an associate professor, also indicated that she was not aware of the research project and that Dr. He was on leave. unpaid since February.
The Science and Innovation Committee of Shenzhen City, a municipal fund that has also been listed in the clinical trials registry as having supported the trial, said in a statement released Monday that he had never participated in the project.
Mr. Xu Nanping, Chinese Vice Minister of Ministry of Science and Technology, told the press that he was "very shocked" to have heard Dr. He's complaint, adding that this work was banned since 2003.
The details of the case were still unclear, noted Mr. Xu. "We do not know if this work is real or fictitious.If it is real, it is certainly banned in China."
The Xinhua official Xinhua news agency said that the ethics could not be ignored. "Scientific exploration is endless … but that does not mean that the ethics of science can be abandoned or that ethical standards can be ignored," he said in a commentary on the media social.
The National Health Commission said Monday that she was "very concerned" and had ordered provincial health officials "to investigate immediately and clarify the situation".
The government's medical ethics committee in Shenzhen said it was investigating the case, as was the health commission in Guangdong province, according to the Southern Metropolis Daily, a news media outlet. l & # 39; State.
The organizing committee of the Hong Kong conference where Dr. He is to speak – the Second International Summit on the Modification of the Human Genome – said Monday in a statement that he had just been informed about Dr. He's work on binoculars genes.
"Our goal is to help ensure that research on the editing of the human genome is conducted responsibly," the committee said.
REUTERS
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