A Chinese scientist claims to have used a powerful gene editing tool to extract unwanted genes from human embryos, creating the first genetically modified humans and bringing a dystopian future feared by many, one step closer.
The scientist responsible is He Jiankui, who claimed in a video published by himself, having used CRISPR-Cas9, a gene editing tool that has revolutionized the field of genetics in the last decade, to eliminate a gene in humans, with to make babies resistant to HIV. According to the scientist, these embryos have grown into two healthy babies: a pair of twins named Lulu and Nana . The twins “came into the world crying as healthy as any other baby a few weeks ago,” he said proudly in the video.
After the announcement, the university itself issued a statement in which it denounced the malpractice of the study director , Jiankui He.
The Chinese scientist’s claim has not been verified (in fact, the hospital named in He’s ethical approval documents has denied any involvement in the procedure), but the scientific community has responded to the announcement with outrage and concern. Even setting aside the entirely real ethical concerns of using this technology to manipulate human genes, many scientists believe such alterations could lead to far-reaching and unforeseen health problems.
It is true that the modification he made to the embryos “will prevent HIV infection”, but the problem is that the deleted gene, called CCR5 , has many more functions than the one related to HIV infection; for example, it ensures that white blood cells work properly.
The modified gene may also play an important role in helping prevent West Nile virus infection, so removing it from the genome likely makes a person more susceptible to the disease, according to Feng Zhang of the Broad Institute, one of the scientists who promoted the use of CRISPR gene editing technology.
Deleting that gene could have unwanted effects on other parts of the genome
In addition, genes do not exist in isolation, they are constantly interacting with other genes, which can have important effects on the body.
CRISPR technology is unlikely to work perfectly and accurately. As early as July 2018, a team of scientists published a report in the journal Nature Biotechnology that discovered that the use of CRISPR-Cas9 technology may be causing more damage than previously thought, by inadvertently changing large chunks of DNA .
The point is that it is highly unlikely that the scientist will notice changes like these, as they may not become apparent until they have grown sufficiently. And these genetic conditions can be passed on to future generations.
And, when it comes to preventing HIV, there are safer (and easier) ways to do it than using the CRISPR technique. For example, the PrEP treatment method, taken as a daily pill, has been shown to be successful in preventing infections in major trials. And other treatments are also making their way.
Who will assume responsibility for these future babies when their peers are treated with a simple pill and survive happily, but genetically edited are experiencing any side effects yet to be identified ?, ask the experts.
