Prognosis
China Scientist’s Claim on World’s First Gene-Edited Babies Sparks Denials
- Scientist claims to have edited embryonic genes, AP says
- Institutions in China deny they were involved with procedure
He Jiankui.
Photographer: Mark Schiefelbein/AP Photos
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A Chinese researcher claims to have created the world’s first genetically edited babies, crossing an ethical frontier and prompting a backlash from health officials and other scientists.
He Jiankui, a researcher in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen, said he altered the genes of a pair of twin girls born this month while they were embryos, the Associated Press reported. The goal was to make the babies resistant to the virus that causes AIDS, the scientist said.