Human Embryos Develop Resistance to HIV
Stem cell researcher Yong Fan from Guangzhou Medical University in China uses CRISPR to make human embryos resistant to HIV.
The scientist takes fertilised eggs left over from IVF, and introduces a specific mutation into the CCR5 gene. The mutation also exists naturally in some people, and scientists have discovered that it prevents HIV from attacking the immune system.
After the CRISPR treatment, the eggs are only allowed to divide four times, before the experiment is halted for ethical reasons. But theoretically, the mutated embryos could have developed into children, who could not be infected with HIV.