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A Chinese scientist at the center of a controversy over what he claims to be the first genetically modified children in the world apologized on Wednesday for the result flew unexpectedly as he detailed his findings at the conference. A conference in Hong Kong.
Scientist He Jiankui participates in the International Summit on the Modification of the Human Genome at the University of Hong Kong in Hong Kong, China on November 28, 2018. REUTERS / Stringer
HONG KONG: A Chinese scientist at the center of a controversy over what he claims to be the first genetically modified children in the world said Wednesday that he was proud of his work and had revealed that he "was not the only one in the world. another volunteer is pregnant as part of the research.
He Jiankui, associate professor at Southern University Science and Technology in Shenzhen, China, delivered a speech in front of a packed audience of about 700 people attending the Summit on the Human Genome Publishing in Beijing. University of Hong Kong.
"In this case, I'm proud, I'm the most proud," he told colleagues at the conference.
"This study has been submitted to a scientific review for review," he said. He did not name the newspaper and said his university was not aware of his study.
He, who said his work was self-financing, dismissed concerns that the research had been conducted in secret, explaining that he had mobilized the scientific community over the past three years.
In videos posted online this week, he said he used a gene-editing technology called CRISPR-Cas9 to modify the embryonic genes of binoculars born this month.
He added that gene editing would help protect girls from infection with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.
But scientists and the Chinese government have denounced the work done by He, and a hospital related to his research suggested that his ethical approval had been forged.[[[[
Conference moderator, Robin Lovell-Badge, said the summit organizers were not aware of the story until the case went off this week.
CRISPR-Cas9 is a technology that allows scientists to cut and glue DNA, which gives hope for genetic solutions to the disease. However, there are concerns about security and ethics.
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More than 100 scientists, most of them in China, said Tuesday in an open letter that the use of CRISPR-Cas9 technology to alter human embryo genes was dangerous and unjustified. "The Pandora's box has been opened," they said.
His research focuses on genome sequencing technology, bioinformatics and genome editing, according to his biography on the summit's website.
He earned his Ph.D. from Rice University in Houston, Texas, and worked as a postdoctoral researcher at Stephen Quake's lab at Stanford University, according to the site.
(Report by Holly Chik, Farah Master and Anne Marie Roantree, edited by Nick Macfie)
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