The organizers of the Genome Modification Summit condemn the claims of a young Chinese scientist on gene editing

By Alexandra Harney

SHANGHAI (Reuters) – Organizers of a conference at which a Chinese scientist said he changed the genes of twin babies condemned the job on Thursday, calling it "deeply disturbing" and "irresponsible."

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"Even if the changes were verified, the procedure was irresponsible and did not comply with international standards," said the organizing committee of the Second International Summit on Human Genome Modification, which is being held in Hong Kong this year. week, in a statement posted online.

The statement called for an independent assessment of claims by Chinese scientist He Jiankui that he would have used a gene editing technology known as CRISPR-Cas9 to alter the embryonic genes of binoculars born this month.

His announcement, which has not yet been verified, has sparked an international outcry about the ethics and safety of such research.

(Graphic: Gene Editing – https://tmsnrt.rs/2ReKG1R)

Chinese scientists have condemned the work. The Southern University of Science and Technology, where he is on leave from his position as associate professor, announced the opening of an investigation.

The Guangdong Provincial Health Commission said Wednesday on its website that Shenzhen City and its team had set up a team to investigate the case. His filing in a clinical trial database in China indicates that a hospital conducted an ethical review of the project, but the hospital concerned denied the fact that its review committee ethics has never met to discuss work.

After his presentation on Wednesday, he said he was proud of what he had done.

Presidents of the US National Academy of Sciences (NAS) and the US National Academy of Medicine (NAM) also expressed concern about He's work. Their statement was sent Thursday by email, but dated Tuesday.

"The events this week in Hong Kong clearly show the need for us to develop more specific standards and principles that can be endorsed by the international scientific community," wrote NAS presidents Marcia McNutt and Victor Dzau. .

(Report by Alexandra Harney, edited by Paul Tait)