The Scientist Who Shook the World: The Story of He Jiankui and the Gene-Edited Babies

Disclaimer:  This image is AI-generated for illustrative purposes and does not depict real people or events directly.

In 2018, the world of science  and the  public  was suprised by  unknown Chinese scientist named He Jiankui, who announced that he had created the world’s first genetically edited babies. 

The twin girls, known by the pseudonyms(not their real names) Lulu and Nana, were reportedly born with altered DNA intended to make them resistant to HIV. 

He Jiankui (pronounced "Huh Jee-ahn-kway") was born in 1984 in a rural village in Hunan Province, China. 

He earned his Ph.D. in biophysics from Rice University in the United States and later conducted postdoctoral work at Stanford University, where he became familiar with CRISPR, a powerful gene-editing technology.

When he returned to China, He had an ambition, to be at the biotechnology. He set up a lab at the Southern University of Science and Technology in Shenzhen and began conducting research into human genome editing. 

In November 2018, He Jiankui uploaded a series of YouTube videos where he calmly announced that he had successfully edited the genomes of two embryos and that the twin girls had already been born. 

He claimed the goal of the experiment was to disable a gene called CCR5, which HIV uses to enter human cells. In other words, the edits were meant to make the babies immune to the virus.

Scientists, ethicists, and medical professionals around the world  condemned the experiment, because gene editing is inherently wrong and there was no peer-reviewed research, No proper ethical oversight and the changes he made could be passed down to future generations, which could lead into the introduction of unintended consequences into the human gene.

Experts argued that He Jiankui had crossed a line that society wasn’t ready to cross. Gene editing in humans  especially in embryos had always been approached with careful caution. 

Scientists had long warned against the unknown risks, including off-target mutations, unintended side effects, and the possibility of “designer babies.”

He did his experiment in secret, recruiting couples under unethical circumstances and failed to obtain proper informed consent. 

The Chinese government, launched an investigation. It quickly became clear that He had acted largely alone, and without the approval of his university or the broader scientific community.

In 2019, He Jiankui was convicted of "illegal medical practices" and sentenced to three years in prison. He was also fined three million yuan (about $430,000 USD). Two of his colleagues were also sentenced.

He Jiankui was released from prison in April 2022. He tried to re-enter the scientific world, launching a biotech startup and even briefly being associated with Wuchang University of Technology. 

But reclaiming public trust is difficult especially when it comes to dealing with human life. 

The fate of Lulu and Nana the twin girls at the center of this story remains unknown. 

Their identities are protected, and very little has been publicly disclosed about their health or development. Their existence is both a scientific milestone and an ethical mystery.