![]() Often the term “designer babies” is brought up in such discussions. That would require significant genetic alterations, but is technically possible. There is also concern that such changes could create different genetic populations of humans, even potentially genetically mutually exclusive populations. If such changes were not regulated, once this technology is widely available there would be a steady stream of such changes, having unpredictable effects on the human population. The obvious concern with germline gene editing is that it can potentially introduce genetic changes into the general human population. The big controversy with He’s research is that he altered all cells, including the germline, which can be passed down. If the cells in your liver, for example, were gene-edited those changes would only affect you, and could not be passed down. Somatic cells, part of the body, are essentially everything else. The EU position is that gene editing in humans: “may only be undertaken for preventive, diagnostic or therapeutic purposes and only if its aim is not to introduce any modification in the genome of any descendants.”Ĭells in the body are either germline, which means they affect the germ cells (sperm and ova) and therefore can be passed down to offspring. Similarly, in the US germline human gene editing is banned, although non-germline genetic engineering is not (although there are further regulations about federal funding of such research). China has now expanded the ban to all human gene editing research, regardless of setting. Regulations only limited human gene editing in hospitals. Part of the He controversy was that he was allowed to conduct such research in the first place. ![]() Specifically he wants to research how to cure the genetic neuromuscular disease, Duchenne muscular dystrophy.Īt the same time China announced it is tightening its regulations regarding human gene editing. He has since been convicted and spent three years in prison, but now seems unrepentant and plans on doing further gene-editing research in humans. He was widely criticized for doing human germ-line gene editing without proper regulatory oversight or approval. He removed a single gene, the CCR5 gene, to reduce their chance of contracting HIV from their father. Importantly, he edited them at the single cell stage, which means their germline was affected, which further means that the changes would be passed down to their offspring. In 2018 He announced that he had edited the genes of twin girls using CRISPR during IVF. He Jiankui has ensured that his name will forever be linked to the history of gene editing in humans.
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