Scientists alarmed by ‘monstrous’ creation of first ever GM babies

Twins Lulu and Nana could suffer ‘devastating’ effect of experiment

British scientists branded reports of the world’s first genetically modified babies being born in China as “monstrous” and “shocking” when news broke this week.

Professor He Jiankui claims he employed a widely used gene-editing tool to create the twin girls, Lulu and Nana.

Prof He, who has a laboratory at the Southern University of Science and Technology in the Chinese city of Shenzhen, maintains that he altered embryos for seven couples who agreed to the procedures.

Six attempts involving 11 embryos resulted in one twin pregnancy, he said.

In most countries, including the UK, the law forbids any attempt to create genetically engineered human babies.

Scientists pointed out that although the gene-editing system used, CRISPR/ Cas9, is extremely powerful, it could still cause serious harm by generating “off target” alterations to DNA.

LORD WINSTON

Fertility scientist and broadcaster Lord Winston said: “If this is a false report, it is scientific misconduct and deeply irresponsible.

“If true, it is still scientific misconduct. “The foetus cannot give informed consent. Moreover, this is an experiment likely to go wrong as CRISPR/Cas9 is not totally reliable and there may be all kinds (of) effects, physical and mental, which could be devastating.”

Dr Kathy Niakan, group leader at the Francis Crick Institute in London, who has carried out research into miscarriages using CRISPR/Cas9, said: “This would be a highly irresponsible, unethical and dangerous use of genomeediting technology.

“In the UK, it is rightly illegal to establish a pregnancy from a genomeedited embryo.”

Joyce Harper, professor in genetics and human embryology at University College London, said: “Today’s report of genome-editing human embryos for resistance to HIV is premature, dangerous and irresponsible.”

Professor Julian Savulescu, director of the Uehiro Centre for Practical Ethics at Oxford University, said: “If true, this experiment is monstrous.”

Leading obstetrics expert Professor Peter Braude, from King’s College London, said: “It was inevitable that someone trying to reach the limelight would likely try this.”

There may be all kinds of effects, physical and mental.

Professor He Jiankui explains his work from his laboratory in Shenzhen in southern China.