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Chinese scientist He Jiankui claims to have created the world's first genetically modified babies. Anthony WALLACE / AFP
The Chinese scientist, who claims to have created the world's first genetically modified babies, said Wednesday that the trial was suspended following international outcry over the controversial procedure.
He Jiankui defended his work in front of a busy biomedical conference in Hong Kong, claiming that he had succeeded in altering the DNA of binoculars born to a HIV-positive father, a first on the medical front.
A total of eight couples of volunteers – HIV – positive fathers and HIV – negative mothers – had registered for the trial, one of them having been abandoned before being suspended. .
He said that there had been "another potential pregnancy" involving a second couple, but that when asked questions, it was agreed that it was all about a chemical pregnancy – a term for a very early miscarriage.
"I have to apologize, the result was leaked unexpectedly," he said about the apparent breakthrough. "The clinical trial was halted because of the current situation," he added.
The conference was turned upside down by claims of genetic revelations from babies, after the university professor posted a video stating that DNAs have been altered to prevent them from contracting HIV.
This decision sparked a heated debate within the scientific community, raising many concerns about the lack of verified data and the risks of exposing healthy embryos to gene editing.
Editing human embryos can create unexpected mutations in other areas, called "off-target effects," which can continue until birth, experts warn.
But he went on stage Wednesday to justify his work and was bombarded with questions while he told the public that parents were aware of the potential dangers when they registered.
"The volunteers were informed of the risk posed by the existence of a potential off-target and decided to set up," he said.
He also stated that the university he was working in "did not know how the study was going".
The Southern University of Science and Technology, located in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen, had distanced himself from He, saying he had been on unpaid leave since February and had "seriously violated the law." Academic ethics and codes of conduct ".
The organizers of the second International Summit on the Review of the Human Genome, which opened on Tuesday, also said they were unaware of He's work.
Conference moderator Robin Lovell-Badge said his trial was a "step backward" for the science sector, but he called the birth of babies "memorable".
"This is an example of an approach that was not sufficiently prudent and proportionate," he said.
"Clearly though, it's a point in history. . . These two babies would appear to be the first gene-modified babies. It is therefore an important historical moment. "
Summit Chairman David Baltimore, Nobel laureate, said that there had been a "failure of self-regulation on the part of the scientific community due to a lack of transparency" .
His request would be "considered irresponsible," said Baltimore.
He added that the DNA of the twins had been modified with the help of CRISPR, a technique that allows scientists to remove and replace a strand with extreme precision.
Gene editing is a potential solution for inherited diseases, but it is extremely controversial because the changes would be passed on to future generations and could potentially affect the entire gene pool.
In many countries, editing of human DNA is tightly controlled.
Ethical process bypassed
Qiu Renzong, former vice chairman of the ethics committee of the Chinese Ministry of Health, told reporters that weak regulations in China meant that scientists who break the rules are often not punished and believe that ministry is "without teeth".
The National Health Commission of China has ordered an "immediate investigation" into the case, the official Xinhua news agency reported, while the Shenzhen hospital must have approved the research program and denied its participation.
A union of Chinese scientists issued a statement in which he said he "would resolutely oppose alleged scientific research and biotechnological applications that violate the spirit of science and ethics. ", said Xinhua.
The case has damaged China's international reputation in the field, said the Chinese Union of Life Sciences Societies.
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