Chinese scientist He Jiankui at centre of gene-editing controversy ran second experiment on human embryos, new document reveals

Academic started clinical study on abandoned human embryos just one month after beginning controversial project with gene-edited babies

Expert questions why experiment with babies, which was more advanced, was concluded before results of basic research study on embryos were available

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Scientist He Jiankui poses with ‘The Human Genome’, a book he edited. Photo: Handout

Published: 10:15am, 28 Nov 2018Updated: 9:40pm, 28 Nov 2018

The Chinese scientist who claimed he created the world’s first gene-edited babies had conducted a similar experiment on abandoned human embryos, it has been revealed.

The revelation raised more ethical concerns over the project by Dr He Jiankui, an associate professor at the Southern University of Science and Technology in Shenzhen, with an expert questioning why the two experiments, which represented the basic and advanced stages of gene-editing research, had been conducted at the same time.

He announced on Monday that healthy twin sisters, named Lulu and Nana, had been born this month from embryos modified by his team to switch off an HIV-related gene, sparking a chorus of condemnation from around the world.

The parties mentioned in the research have denied having any knowledge of He’s project, while on Tuesday, China’s science ministry said it would investigate whether the associate professor had broken the law.

Hong Kong summit to discuss regulation in wake of gene-editing scandal

On Tuesday, Xu Nanping, vice-minister of science and technology, said he was shocked by the claims and said his ministry would launch an investigation, adding that such experiments had been banned since 2003.

He used CRISPR-Cas9 – a genome editing system – to edit human embryos, which were then transferred to seven women for pregnancy, starting in March 2017. One of them was said to have given birth to the twins.

However, just one month after this two-year project was launched, He initiated a three-year basic science clinical study related to gene editing on abandoned human embryos in partnership with researchers from Luohu People's Hospital in Shenzhen, according to the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, a database affiliated with the World Health Organisation.

The research members of the project were mostly from the reproductive medical section of the hospital.