Scientist claims to have created genetically modified babies

Beijing.- As if the future had come, a group of Chinese scientists claim to have created the first genetically modified babies in the world, as you read, they would have modified these babies and the result was surprising, according to the American publication "MIT Technology Review", although the Shenzhen University in which they work is not aware of this study.

To achieve this, the researchers used the CRISPR / Cas9 technique in two twins to make them resistant to diseases such as HIV, cholera or smallpox, according to data published Sunday by the magazine.

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Although MIT points out that the work has not yet been published in any scientific journal, the principal investigator, He Jiankui, published in a video posted on YouTube the fertilization process that followed to allow the birth of two twins this month. , Lulu and Nana, genetically modified.

The results indicate that the operation worked well, as expected, says He, in the video, which points out that girls' genes are altered so that they can not contract HIV.

According to him, genetic modification is not about eliminating genetic diseases, but about "giving girls the natural ability to resist possible HIV infection".

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To do this, the researchers "deactivated" the CCR5 gene, which in practice would constitute an improvement in DNA, explains He, adding that next month "more details on the research will be published".

Changing babies using prohibited technology

The development of this plan, which uses forbidden technology in the United States and Europe, could be controversial, as some scientists discover a new form of drug that eliminates genetic diseases, others a form of eugenics.

The university has no record of the study of him and the health authorities of Shenzhen "have received no request" to carry it out, reports China today. Daily.

The Chinese newspaper adds that the study "sparked controversy" between academics and citizens of the country "for its ethics and effectiveness."

Genetic editing technology is far from mature and should not be used in humans, scientist Wu Zunyou told the newspaper, for whom it is "inappropriate" to conduct such research on the subject. 39; man.

In 2016, a group of Chinese scientists has become the pioneer of the use in humans, especially in patients with lung cancer, CRISPR genetic modification technology, reported by the journal Nature.

British scientists have however discovered that gene editing CRISPR technology could cause more cell damage than previously thought, according to a study published this year by the same newspaper.