Worries grow over claim of gene-edited babies

HONG KONG: Leading scientists see even more reasons to worry and have more questions than answers after a Chinese scientist attended an international conference and repeated his claim to have helped make the world’s first gene-edited babies.

He Jiankui (pic) spoke at the gene-editing meeting in Hong Kong where the conference’s leader called his experiment “irresponsible” and evidence that the scientific community had failed to regulate itself to prevent premature efforts to alter DNA.

The work is highly controversial because the changes can be inherited and harm other genes. It’s banned in some countries including the United States.

The scientist, He, says twin girls born earlier this month have DNA altered to make them resistant to possible infection with the AIDS virus. Scientists weren’t buying it.

“It’s an appalling example of what not to do about a promising technology that has great potential to benefit society,” said David Liu of Harvard and MIT’s Broad Institute, and inventor of gene-editing tools.

There is no independent confirmation of He’s claim and he has not yet published in any scientific journal.

He failed or refused to answer many questions including who paid for his work, how he ensured that participants understood potential risks and benefits, and why he kept his work secret until after it was done. — AP