Chinese scientist who created first genetically modified babies resumes research

Chinese scientist He Jiankui, who gained fame after claiming to have created the first genetically modified babies, has resumed research into genome editing of human embryos after being imprisoned.

Quoted by the Japanese newspaper Mainichi, He, who was sentenced to three years in prison in 2019 by authorities in his country, as they considered that he carried out the project illegally for reproductive purposes, said that his current work is in accordance with international standards and that society will eventually accept this practice.

The researcher stated that his goal is to treat rare genetic diseases, such as Duchenne muscular dystrophy or genetically determined Alzheimer’s disease, through genome editing in human embryos. He added that he will use “discarded” embryos for his research, respecting local and international standards.

The scientist established three laboratories in China after his release in 2022, including in Beijing and Wuhan, according to the Japanese newspaper.

In November 2018, He shocked the international community by claiming to have successfully created the first twins genetically modified to resist the Human Immunodeficiency Virus, which causes the disease AIDS. The revelation aroused widespread criticism, especially for ethical reasons.

The twins were part of a group of three babies born following a gene editing project during in vitro fertilization of eight couples in which only the husbands were infected with HIV, to prevent transmission of the virus.

The scientist then said he was “proud” of his work and stressed that his study was not intended to eliminate genetic diseases, but to “give girls the natural ability” to resist a possible future HIV infection.

Chinese authorities determined after an investigation that He conducted the project illegally for fame and financial gain.

Regarding the children, He said during the interview: “They are perfectly healthy and have no growth problems. He also reported that the twins, who are now around 5 years old, attend nursery school and that another baby born in 2019 was also a girl.

The scientist said he was proud of his achievements and stated that analyzes of the girls’ complete genetic sequences showed that “there were no genetic modifications beyond the medical objective, providing evidence that genome editing was safe.”

Reflecting on the criticism he received, He regretted that his investigation was so “hasty”, but did not explain why he decided to carry it out in violation of international norms.

The scandal prompted Chinese authorities to review their regulations on human genetic modification. China now requires national approval for clinical research in this field or other “high-risk biomedical technologies”.

The controversial researcher said in 2023 that he intended to conduct gene editing research in Hong Kong using artificial intelligence, plans that were thwarted after Hong Kong authorities canceled his work visa.