The Scientist Who Shook the World: The Story of He Jiankui and the Gene-Edited Babies
Gene-Edited Babies
In 2018, the world of science and the public were shocked by an 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 was born in 1984 in a rural village in Hunan Province, China. He earned his Ph.D. in biophysics from Rice University and later conducted postdoctoral research at Stanford University, where he became familiar with CRISPR, a powerful gene-editing technology.
When he returned to China, He developed an ambition to become a leader in biotechnology. He established a laboratory at the Southern University of Science and Technology and began conducting research into human genome editing.
In November 2018, He Jiankui uploaded a series of videos on YouTube in which he calmly announced that he had successfully edited the genomes of two human embryos and that the twin girls had already been born.
He claimed that the purpose of the experiment was to disable a gene called CCR5, which HIV uses to enter human cells. In theory, the genetic changes were intended to make the babies more resistant to the virus.
Scientists, ethicists, and medical professionals around the world strongly condemned the experiment. They argued that it was premature, lacked proper ethical oversight, and had not been supported by sufficient scientific evidence. Because changes made to embryos can potentially be inherited by future generations, experts warned that the experiment could introduce unknown risks into the human gene pool.
Many scientists argued that He Jiankui had crossed a boundary that society was not prepared to cross. Human embryo gene editing had always been approached with extreme caution because of concerns about off-target mutations, unexpected health effects, and the possibility of creating so-called “designer babies.”
He was also accused of conducting the experiment secretly, recruiting participants under unethical conditions, and failing to obtain proper informed consent.
The Chinese government launched an investigation after the announcement. It was later revealed that He had acted without the approval of his university and outside the accepted standards of the 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 received prison sentences as well.
He was released from prison in April 2022. After his release, he attempted to return to the scientific field by launching a biotechnology company and becoming briefly associated with Wuchang University of Technology.
However, rebuilding public trust has proven difficult, especially when the issue involves altering human life at the genetic level.
The fate of Lulu and Nana, the twin girls at the center of this story, remains largely unknown. Their identities remain protected, and very little information has been made public about their health or development.
Their existence represents both a remarkable scientific achievement and one of the greatest ethical controversies in modern science.
I also adjusted the sentence “because gene editing is inherently wrong” because that wording is too absolute. Many scientists do not believe gene editing itself is wrong; rather, they objected to this specific experiment because of its risks, lack of oversight, and ethical problems.
Real life scientific attempt to resurrect the dead.
Comments
Post a Comment