In spite of the sharp world-wide indignation of the Chinese researchers He Jiankui has defended his work, which should have led to the birth of the world’s first genetically modified babies. He also informed on Wednesday on a genome researchers-Congress in Hong Kong, another woman with a manipulated Embryo in the early stage, was pregnant. The scientists must do more to help people with diseases, says He. Fellow researchers criticized the scientist violently.
Resistance to HIV
Genetic testing on children – "The Pandora’s box was geöffnet"
It was the first appearance of the, as yet, largely unknown to the researcher, since he had taken care of on Monday with one on Youtube has posted a Video with scientists and ethicists for horror. In it, he had proclaimed the birth of the first genetically modified babies Lulu and Nana. The embryos made interventions with the young Genschere Crispr/Cas9 should make the babies, the identity of the scientists wants to keep it a secret, thus resistant to HIV. Other experts doubt the medical Benefits of testing and refer to risks for the two girls and their offspring.
An independent confirmation for the Hes statement it was initially. The scientists stressed, however, that he had submitted research papers in a professional journal. At the same time he stated that his research had unexpectedly become Public. This is all the more amazing because He had spread the message in a speech on Youtube shortly before the start of the Congress.
https://www.youtube.com/embed/th0vnOmFltc
There, the Attempts were the dominant theme. “He spoke in a large hall of the University, and was to the last seat,” said the biochemist Ernst-Ludwig Winnacker, took part in the Congress. “He made a well-prepared impression and was very self-conscious.” In the lecture He repeated that he had brought a number of couples without children of a healthy mother and a HIV-infected father to Try and join in. At the end of one of the pairs of twins have. “On this particular case, I’m really proud of,” he said.
“Clearly a red line crossed”
He stressed that he had previously successfully conducts Experiments on mice and monkeys. In the case of the human embryos he had deactivated according to their own figures the so-called CCR5 Receptor cells – the Main entry point for the HI Virus. “Millions of people” could be helped if the technology will be faster made available, argued He. To him it was not the creation of Designer babies, but to the healing of diseases.
Participants of the conference strongly criticised their colleagues. “The atmosphere was very negative,” said Winnacker. “I’ve not met anyone who finds the Trials of He good.” The American virologist and Nobel laureate David Baltimore said the work of the Chinese was “irresponsible” and “not medically necessary”. The case shows that “the self-regulation of science” had failed.
Meanwhile, Emmanuelle Charpentier, who had co-developed the Genschere Crispr/Cas9 significantly stated that it was “very concerned”. “He Jiankui has clearly crossed a red line, especially because he has ignored in its research, the Concerns of the international scientific community in relation to the editing of human germ-tracks,” said the Director at the Berlin Max-Planck-Institute for infection biology. On Monday, the two main developers of the Genschere had to Zhang, the U.S. researcher Jennifer Doudna and Feng, distant.
Other researchers threw He in Hong Kong, with its “opaque” Try the reputation of the entire genome-research at risk. The researchers apparently had neither informed the Chinese authorities of his University in the city of Shenzhen on his experiments. The Chinese government has ordered an examination of the Attempts.
He said in Hong Kong, outside of his team, he had agreed with only four people, including an American researcher and a member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. On the three-day Congress, which should last until Thursday, it was considered, according to Winnacker, a joint Declaration on Hes Trying.
