The Epoch Times
BY JENNIFER BATEMAN
Ethics-breaking biological experiments continued to be backed by the Chinese regime
The Chinese scientist who claimed to have created the worldâs first gene-edited babies was quietly released from prison early this month after serving a three-year sentence, state media confirmed. His release sparked a new round of discussions about the ethics of gene-editing human embryos and the unexpected harm that may occur.
Lead researcher He Jiankui sparked an international backlash when, in November 2018 at a conference in Hong Kong, he revealed that he had altered the DNA of twin girl embryos who were born that month, calling them âLuluâ and âNana.â
He said that his team used CRISPR technology to âedit outâ the CCR5 gene in the embryos so that the baby girls were born âimmune to AIDSâ or have a natural ability to fight AIDS in the future. He claimed it was the first instance in the world.
