jiankui he
[Abstract] He Jiankui said that his purpose is not to treat or prevent hereditary diseases, but to try to retain the characteristics of only a few talents: natural resistance to certain HIV.

According to the Associated Press, He Jiankui, a researcher at Shenzhen Southern University of Science and Technology in China, claims that he has contributed to the birth of the world’s first genetically edited baby. They are a pair of twin girls from this month who are said to have edited their genes using new tools. This will rewrite their lives.
If the scholar’s results are confirmed, this will be a major step in science and ethics.
A scientist from the United States participated in the study of this project, but in the United States, similar genetic editing is strictly prohibited because genetic alterations can be passed on to the next generation and there is a risk of damage to other genes. Many mainstream scientists believe that editing human genes is a non-safe act. Some scholars believe that the above-mentioned research by Chinese scientists belongs to “human experiments.”

The scholar is named He Jiankui, from Southern University of Science and Technology in Shenzhen. He Jiankui said that during the fertility treatment process, he changed the embryos of seven couples of children, one of whom was successfully produced.
He Jiankui said that his purpose is not to treat or prevent hereditary diseases, but to try to retain the characteristics of only a few people: natural resistance to certain HIV.
He Jiankui said that parents who participated in the relevant research were not willing to publish their identity or interview, and he would not disclose information such as the location or work unit of these parents.
At present, He Jiankui’s research has not been independently confirmed, and the research results have not been published in professional journals for other peers to comment.
On Tuesday, Hong Kong plans to hold an international academic conference on gene editing. On Monday, He Jiankui announced his research results to one of the organizers of the academic conference. Earlier in an interview with the Associated Press, he also introduced the research results.
He Jiankui told the Associated Press: “I feel that I have a very important responsibility, not only to promote the first (gene editing baby), but also to make her a role model.” He believes that whether to allow or prohibit gene editing “The society will decide what to do next.”
Some scientists were shocked and strongly condemned after learning about the results of He Jiankui’s research.
Dr. Kiran Musunuru, a genetic editing expert at the University of Pennsylvania and editor of the journal Genetics, said that this is “a human experiment without conscience, which is untenable in morality and ethics.”
Dr. Eric Topol, head of the Klips Technology Transformation Institute in California, said that the study is far from mature. “We are touching human operating instructions, which is a very important project.”
However, Harvard University researcher George Church supports the attempt to edit genes for AIDS research. He believes that AIDS has become a major threat to public health. “I think these studies are reasonable.”
In recent years, scientists have discovered a simpler way to edit genes. A new tool called “CRISPR-cas9” can manipulate the DNA to provide a desired gene or disable a problematic gene.

Until recently, genetic editing was used in the treatment of some adult fatal diseases, and genetic editing was limited to a specific patient. Editing sperm, eggs, or embryos is completely different, and genetic changes will be inherited by offspring.
In the United States, editing of genes is prohibited except for laboratory studies. China stipulates that human cloning is illegal, but there is no explicit ban on genetic editing.
He Jiankui studied at Rice University and Stanford University in the United States. Later he returned to the motherland and opened a laboratory at the Southern University of Science and Technology in Shenzhen. He also opened two genetic related companies.
According to reports, another American scientist, Michael Deem, and He Jiankui collaborated on a research project. Tim is a professor of bioengineering and medical physics. During Rice University, Tim served as a consultant to He Jiankui.
Among the two companies founded by He Jiankui, Tim is said to hold a small stake and also serves on the company’s Scientific Advisory Board.
He Jiankui said that in the past years, he has tried to edit the genes of rodents, monkeys and human embryos, and applied for patents on the methods he studied.
The scholar said that he chose embryonic genetic editing to fight against AIDS because HIV infection has become a big problem in China. He hopes to disable a gene called CCR5, which acts as a “protein gate” that allows HIV to enter a cell.

He Jiankui was interviewed in the laboratory in Shenzhen. Other pictures are not stated. Look at the picture of the microscope, the description is related to the second half.
He Jiankui said that among the couples who participated in the study, all men were infected with HIV (HIV), and all women were not infected, and the purpose of genetic editing was not to prevent the risk of HIV transmission. In fact, all men have already suppressed infection through standard AIDS drugs, and there are currently some simple ways to protect the next generation from AIDS.
The purpose of He Jiankui’s research is to give those infected couples the opportunity to have a child who is free from AIDS.
He Jiankui recruited the above couples in the “Birch Forest”, an AIDS rights organization in Beijing. The person in charge of Baihualin told the Associated Press that it is not uncommon for people living with HIV to lose their jobs. If outsiders know that they are sick, their treatment will be in trouble.
He Jiankui introduced his work on editing genes. It is reported that the gene editing process takes place in the IVF (ie in vitro fertilization combined with embryo transfer technology) laboratory. First, the sperm is “cleaned” and semen separated (HIV is present in semen). A sperm is implanted into an egg to produce an embryo, and then the gene editing tool begins to enter.
When the embryo is 3 to 5 days old, a small number of cells are removed and genetic editing is performed after examination. Parenting couples have the right to decide whether to use an edited embryo or an unedited embryo.
It is reported that a total of 16 of the 22 embryos have been edited, and 11 embryos have undergone six uterine implantation attempts. After that, they finally have twins.
He Jiankui said that the test showed that one of the twins had two edited genes, and the other had only one set of unedited genes. No evidence of damage to other genes has yet been seen. In addition, babies with only one gene are still likely to contract AIDS, but some limited studies have shown that even if infected with AIDS, the health decline will slow down.

The embryologist Qin Jinzhou observed it in a microscope in the Shenzhen laboratory.
Several researchers reviewed the information provided by He Jiankui to the Associated Press, but they believe that the tests so far have not proven that the editing of this gene can completely immune to some diseases.
They also noted that there is evidence that the editing of this gene is not complete, because at least one pair of chromosomes seems to be made up of different changing cells.
Genetic engineering expert George Church said: “If you just change some specific cells, it is almost equivalent to not doing genetic editing work, HIV infection can still occur.”
At the same time, Kiran Musunuru, a genetic engineering expert taught by Church and the University of Pennsylvania, also questioned the decision to allow one of the embryos to be used for pregnancy.
Musunuru said: “For this child, he really has no advantage in preventing AIDS, but you expose him to all unknown security risks.”
Moreover, even if the editing of the genes is done well, people without the normal CCR5 gene are at higher risk of infecting certain other viruses (such as West Nile virus, West Nile) and dying from the flu. Musunuru said that there are many ways to prevent HIV infection, even if someone can get the virus, but the medical risks of other viruses are a worrying issue.
In addition, there are certain doubts about the way He Jiankui conducts research. He registered the study in the Clinical Trial Registry long ago, but did not officially start work until November 8. At the moment, it is not clear whether the participants fully understand the purpose of the study and the potential risks.

Zhou Xiaoqin put an embryo in a storage tube in the Shenzhen laboratory.
In this regard, Michael Deem, a member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, said that participants agreed to participate in the study when they were in China, and he absolutely believed that they fully understood the risks involved.
Deem said that he believes that genetic editing work is somewhat similar to vaccine development.
“This may be a way for a layman to describe,” he later said.
He Jiankui said that he personally explained the purpose of the experiment to the participants and clearly told the participants that “the embryo genetic editing has never been tried before, and there may be risks.” Moreover, he also provides insurance for any pregnant person due to the project and plans to follow up on the children in the project until they are 18 years old.
But he also admitted that the project’s follow-up pregnancy attempt plan will be put on hold until the safety analysis of the project is completed, and the industry experts will make a trade-off before making a decision.
At present, He Jiankui has sought and obtained relevant approval from Shenzhen Hejia Maternal and Child Health Hospital, but the hospital is not one of the four hospitals he said to provide embryos for his own research or pregnancy. Some hospital staff did not know the specific nature of the study, He Jiankui and Deem told them “this is to prevent some participants from being infected with HIV infection.”

Lin Zhitong was interviewed in Shenzhen.
“We think this is an ethical approach,” said Lin Zhitong, head of the Family Planning Coordination Committee.
“Any medical staff who handles HIV samples may understand this.” He Jiankui said.
He Jinkui’s embryologist Qin Jinzhou confirmed to the Associated Press that in some pregnancy attempts, he had sperm cleansing and injected genetic editing tools.
“I believe this will help these families and their children. If this research leads to unexpected side effects or harm, I will feel the same with them, this will be my own responsibility.” He Jiankui finally said.

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