Gene-editing Chinese scientist kept much of his work secret
Posted Nov 27, 2018 03:06:23 PM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
SHENZHEN, China — The Chinese scientist who says he helped make the world’s first gene-edited babies followed an unorthodox career path.
He Jiankui (HEH JEE’-an-qway) kept secret much of his research in pursuit of a larger goal — making history.
Ahead of a medical conference in Hong Kong this week, He claimed he used the powerful gene-editing tool CRISPR on twin girls born earlier this month in China to try to help them resist possible future infection with the AIDS virus.
There is no independent confirmation of He’s claim, and it has not been published in a journal, where it would be vetted by other experts.
Mainstream scientists in China and globally say the experiment should never have been tried.
Christina Larson, The Associated Press
