Chinese scientist who created the first genetically modified babies resumes research

Chinese scientist He Jiankui, who rose to fame at the end of 2018 after claiming that he had managed to create the first manipulated babies geneticallyhas resumed his research on editing the genome of human embryos for the treatment of genetic diseases after his time in prison.

He, who was sentenced to three years in prison in 2019 by the authorities of his country, who considered that he carried out the project illegally for reproductive purposes, stated in an interview with the Japanese newspaper Mainichi that his current work fits to international standards and that society will eventually accept this practice.

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The scientist assured said media in an interview published this Monday thatIts goal is to treat rare genetic diseases such as Duchenne muscular dystrophy or genetically determined Alzheimer’s through genome editing in human embryos.and that for its research it will use discarded embryos and will comply with local and international standards.

He would have established three laboratories in China after his release in 2022, including in Beijing and Wuhan, according to Mainichi.

In November 2018, the Chinese scientist surprised the international community by stating that he had managed to create the first twins genetically manipulated to resist HIV, which led to numerous criticisms, especially for ethical issues.

The twins were part of three babies born as a result of a gene editing project during in vitro fertilization of eight couples in which only the husbands were infected with HIV, to prevent transmission of the virus.

The scientist was then “proud” of his work and stressed that his study did not have the objective of eliminating genetic diseases but rather “giving girls natural ability.” to resist possible future HIV infection.

The Chinese authorities determined after an investigation thate He carried out the project illegally to achieve fame and financial gain.

Of the children, He said during the interview: “They are perfectly healthy and have no growth problems.” He also reported that the twins, now around 5 years old, attend daycare, and that another baby born in 2019 was also a girl.

The scientist said he was proud of his achievements and assured that analyzes of the complete genetic sequences of the little girls show that “there were no gene modifications beyond the medical objective, which provides evidence that genome editing was safe.”

Reflecting on the criticism he received, He regretted that his investigation was so “hasty,” but did not explain why he decided to carry it out in violation of international standards.

The scandal led Chinese authorities to review their regulations regarding genetic modification in humans, which now require national approval for clinical research in that field or in other “high-risk biomedical technologies.”

The controversial researcher said in 2023 that he intended to carry out gene editing research in Hong Kong using artificial intelligence, plans that were thwarted after Hong Kong authorities revoked his work visa.