Editorial | Scientists must follow humane guidelines
- The jailing of He Jiankui for bypassing ethical rules in an illegal gene-editing experiment should serve as a warning to others tempted to take lucrative route
The scientific consensus is that the gene editing to make three babies immune to HIV was unnecessary and potentially dangerous. The court found that the experiment was unauthorised and He’s team was medically unqualified. He was found guilty of forging documents and misleading medical doctors to unknowingly implant gene-edited embryos into two women.
Wisely, Chinese authorities have moved quickly to address expert criticism by tightening regulations on genetic research, including heavy penalties for those found guilty of collecting human genetic materials without proper consent. Now, the state must ensure the welfare of the babies as they grow up as well as protect the privacy of the families involved.
He may also have been motivated by ambitions beyond science. Besides generous research grants, domestic and overseas investors had put in at least 298 million yuan in two of his biotech start-ups. The attractions of his research are obvious. The method that He used in his experiment, called CRISPR, is relatively new, fast, simple to operate and inexpensive to use. It promises potentially lucrative biotech and medical advances. Experiments on monkeys have found no signs of the technique causing unexpected mutations. As with any new science, the technique holds great promise. It is the scientists who must adhere to strict and humane guidelines.