Five years ago, Chinese biophysicist, He Jiankui announced that he had successfully created the world's first gene-edited babies. The babies named Lulu and Nana were born in October 2018 as a product of a CRISPR project.
After the birth of the twin girls, He was accused of violating medical ethics and was sentenced to three years in prison for conducting illegal medical practices. But after getting out of prison, the Chinese scientist received unexpected messages from random people.
Some Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) patients heard about his baby project and asked him to develop a therapy for them. Allowing He to go back to the laboratory raises concerns about his motivations in his CRISPR project as well as the regulations of the Chinese government.
Setting up a New Laboratory
When asked about the lessons he got from the past CRISPR project, the Chinese scientist claims he did it too quickly. His one-time experiment involved editing the genes in human embryos to give them immunity against HIV. He was condemned because of the project's potential to make designer babies.
He has set up a new laboratory called the Jiankui He Lab, a facility where the gene-editing tool CRISPR will be used to create a cure for DMD. Although CRISPR technology is used to edit embryonic genes, He explains that his current work will not involve passing edited genes from one generation to another.
The experiment works by injecting the blood with a single shot of materials to conduct the gene editing process. As it travels through the bloodstream, the material will spread throughout the body until it reaches the muscle cells. Upon picking up the mutant gene, the material will make it functional, allowing the patient to recover from Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
The research is still in the protocol design stage, and his team is still testing the formula. They will seek approval from an ethical review board to test it on animals and humans by 2025.
READ ALSO : Everything You Need To Know About Gene Editing
Feedback from the Scientific Community
He's proposal did not receive much support from his fellow scientists. Gene editing expert Kiran Musunuru claims that the odds are against He in trying to make a cure for Duchenne muscular dystrophy in such a short amount of time. According to Musunuru, developing drugs will take a lot of time and cost a lot of money because medical companies must ensure their product is safe.
Chinese legal experts and scientists also suggest that the authorities ban He from conducting experiments on humans. They believe He should be investigated for an alleged re-violation of scientific integrity, regulations, and ethical norms.
Despite the criticisms he received, He did not seem to be bothered at all. As a scientist who graduated from universities in the U.S., He believes it is his nature to solve problems in science.
Another group of critics questions the Chinese government for allowing a convicted criminal to go back into the gene editing industry. Bioethics experts suggest that it might have something to do with global competition. As China tries to gain supremacy in biotechnology, the country can get credit from He is the first to conduct a baby gene-editing project.
Check out more news and information on Genetics in Science Times.
