A Couple Of Scientists Went Rogue And Created The World’s First Genetically Engineered Baby

Source - The Chinese government has ordered an “immediate investigation” into claims that researchers have created the world’s first genetically engineered human babies.

Lead researcher He Jiankui, said that a set of twins were born a few weeks ago after undergoing CRISPR gene editing technology to make them immune to HIV, smallpox, and cholera. He added that a further six couples are participating in the gene editing program, though their babies have not yet been born.

Since the news came out yesterday, the backlash has been severe and widespread. Doctors and ethicists have long feared the day when genetic engineering would begin to be used in humans and now it’s claimed those fears have become reality. Here’s the fallout so far:

Holy shit. Holy shit. Holy shit. Think about the implications of what this doctor is saying if it turns out to be true. Disease-immune humans. No more Parkinson’s, no more Alzheimer’s, no more ALS, no more CANCER. All of the terrible diseases that destroy lives and tear families apart could in theory disappear. Obviously, we don’t know if it’s true because the scientists involved were “off the grid,” but it’s still fucking wild to think about. The entire scientific community is bullshit about it.

Scientists sharply criticized He’s work and many institutions distanced themselves from him. Over 120 Chinese scientists also signed a letter condemning He’s work, while simultaneously calling for new Chinese laws to prevent similar work. Harmonicare Women’s and Children’s Hospital, where He said he received ethical approval for his research, denied they had given him the go-ahead and filed a report with police. Both the hospital and the university denied that the gene editing procedure had been conducted in their facilities.

And then there’s Dr. Michael Deem. A US professor who allegedly helped them pull off the whole thing.

In the U.S., Rice University launched an investigation into Dr. Michael Deem, a professor who was found to have been involved in He’s genetic editing test. The university said He’s work and Deem’s involvement “violates scientific conduct guidelines and is inconsistent with ethical norms of the scientific community and Rice University.” Deem said he was in China when the participants agreed to the trial, and that they were aware of the risks.

All around just a wild story that I sneaky hope is true. We’ve been pussyfooting around this stuff for years, unable to actually apply the science due to governmental red tape and “ethical concerns” brought about by certain groups of people. I know I sound like a mad scientist, but the only way human genetic engineering was going to take place was if this exact situation took place. Now let’s expedite the process and get this show on the road.

Side note: I don’t know if they can edit genes after the fact, but if they can I’m down to be a test patient.