The scientist spoke about the life of the world’s first gene-edited children
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The world’s first genetically edited children live happily and serenely with their parents. About it South China Morning Post said their creator, the Chinese scientist He Jiankui.
The biophysicist emphasized that society needs to respect their desire to lead a peaceful and private life. The scientist admitted that he did not wish them additional anxiety because of the research. He Jiankui stressed that he was proud of them, but also worried like any other parent.
In 2018, he stunned the world when he announced that he had created two genetically modified twin girls named Lulu and Nana. In 2019, a third child named Amy was born in China.
The scientific community questioned the ethics of his experiment, and the scientist went to prison for three years.
He used the CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing tool to rewrite the CCR5 gene, which confers immunity to HIV due to a genetic mutation. A small percentage of people born naturally with this mutation may be resistant to HIV infection.
He Jiankui claims that he was able to successfully edit the girls’ genes. However, some of his colleagues refused to acknowledge his achievement. They believe that the Chinese scientist and his team managed to create new mutations, and not reproduce existing ones.
The researcher entered into an agreement with the girls’ parents to continuously monitor the children’s health.
“After the age of 18, they will decide whether to undergo medical follow-up according to their individual needs,” said He Jiankui.
Scientists admitted that they still doubt the ethics of the experiment, for which he went to prison. Perhaps he hurried and society was not ready for him.
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