https://www.scmp.com/rss/329643/feed Chinese scientist He Jiankui claimed to have created the world's first gene-edited babies: twin girls born from embryos he says were modified to make them resistant to HIV. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Dannie Peng Dannie Peng He Jiankui looked a little tired and worn as he contemplated his future. With no home and no institution to host his research, the 41-year-old biophysicist and self-proclaimed “pioneer of gene editing” was weighing up what to do next while staying at an upmarket hotel in Beijing late last month. He, who caused a global uproar in 2018 with his announcement of the world’s first gene-edited babies, planned to move to the United States to continue his research into gene-editing embryos to combat... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3314279/what-next-he-jiankui-human-gene-editor-locked-limbo?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3314279/what-next-he-jiankui-human-gene-editor-locked-limbo?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 14 Jun 2025 14:00:08 +0000 China has banned all clinical research involving germline genome editing under a newly released ethics guideline. Germline gene engineering relates to altering the DNA in sperm, eggs or early embryos to introduce changes that can be inherited. “Any clinical research involving germline genome editing is irresponsible and not permitted,” according to the Ethical Guideline for Human Genome Editing Research, released earlier this week by China’s Ministry of Science and Technology. The guideline... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3270285/china-bans-clinical-research-germline-genome-editing-irresponsible?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3270285/china-bans-clinical-research-germline-genome-editing-irresponsible?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 13 Jul 2024 01:00:15 +0000 A group of Chinese scientists and law experts have called on authorities to ban He Jiankui, the controversial biophysicist behind the world’s first gene-edited babies, from doing experiments involving people or genome editing. In a statement dated March 5, the group of 18, including a number of bioethicists, said He had refused to adequately acknowledge his legal and ethical breaches. “[We] strongly condemn He Jiankui’s refusal to reflect on his crime of seriously violating gene-editing ethics,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3213328/ban-he-jiankui-creator-gene-edited-babies-experimenting-people-chinese-bioethics-group-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3213328/ban-he-jiankui-creator-gene-edited-babies-experimenting-people-chinese-bioethics-group-says?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Mar 2023 04:00:23 +0000 China has issued a new national bioethics guideline on research involving humans, further expanding the regulatory scope of such life sciences and medical studies. Analysts said the latest guideline represented “the most important and comprehensive” national legislation on such ethical review standards since controversial biophysicist He Jiankui’s gene-edited baby scandal in 2018. The regulation, released by four Chinese ministries earlier this week, comes some seven years after the first such... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3212298/chinas-new-bioethics-guideline-most-comprehensive-gene-edited-baby-scandal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3212298/chinas-new-bioethics-guideline-most-comprehensive-gene-edited-baby-scandal?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Mar 2023 21:30:08 +0000 A Top Talent Pass Scheme scientist who served a prison sentence for medical malpractice had his Hong Kong work visa revoked late on Tuesday night after immigration officials said they suspected he had lied on his application form. The department said it was suspected that false statements had been made by He Jiankui, a controversial biophysicist who was jailed after creating the world’s first gene-edited babies, to obtain the permit. “The director of immigration has declared that the visa or the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3210941/criminal-record-declaration-not-needed-hong-kong-talent-scheme-citys-labour-minister-says-amid?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3210941/criminal-record-declaration-not-needed-hong-kong-talent-scheme-citys-labour-minister-says-amid?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Feb 2023 06:06:49 +0000 A Chinese biophysicist who created the world’s first gene-edited children has cancelled two key international engagements next month, including speaking at Oxford University, amid concern about the lack of transparency regarding his research. “I feel that I am not ready to talk about my experience in past three years. So I decide that I will not visit Oxford in March,” He Jiankui posted on Twitter on Friday. He said he would also not attend the Third International Summit on Human Genome Editing... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3210191/chinese-creator-worlds-first-gene-edited-babies-drops-out-oxford-event-amid-concern-over-lack?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3210191/chinese-creator-worlds-first-gene-edited-babies-drops-out-oxford-event-amid-concern-over-lack?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Feb 2023 12:00:22 +0000 The Chinese scientist responsible for the world’s first gene-edited babies says he will be visiting Britain to speak at Oxford University early next year. He Jiankui, who was released from prison after serving a three-year sentence for illegal medical practices in April, said he will be giving a series of public interviews at the university in March. The scientist stunned the world in 2018 when he announced that he helped produce the babies, whose genes had been modified with the aim of... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3201896/chinese-scientist-behind-gene-edited-babies-speak-oxford-university?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3201896/chinese-scientist-behind-gene-edited-babies-speak-oxford-university?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 02 Dec 2022 12:45:42 +0000 China, regarded by some critics as the Wild West in terms of science and technology research programmes, has released a new set of guidelines to enhance the ethics review process on experiments involving humans and animals. This initiative by the Chinese government marks a crucial step towards improving ethics oversight in the country, more than two years after Chinese scientist He Jiankui was sentenced to three years in prison and fined 3 million yuan (US$471,000) for creating the world’s first... https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3171275/china-strengthens-ethics-oversight-science-and-technology-research?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3171275/china-strengthens-ethics-oversight-science-and-technology-research?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 21 Mar 2022 11:00:26 +0000 Chinese bioethicists are looking at the issues around caring for the world’s first gene-edited babies, and say more needs to be done to regulate research in the area. It comes as two prominent bioethicists – Lei Ruipeng and Qiu Renzong – last month called on the government to protect the three children, who were born in China. The scientist responsible for the gene-edited babies, He Jiankui, was jailed for his experiment that drew global condemnation when he revealed it in 2018. Lei, a... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3171018/we-should-be-prepared-bioethicists-look-how-care-chinas-gene?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3171018/we-should-be-prepared-bioethicists-look-how-care-chinas-gene?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 20 Mar 2022 04:00:17 +0000 Two prominent bioethicists have called on the Chinese government to protect the world’s first gene-edited babies – the result of an experiment that was globally condemned – and any future generations. The proposal came from Qiu Renzong, from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences in Beijing, and Lei Ruipeng at Huazhong University of Science and Technology in Wuhan. It is the first of its kind in China and was submitted last month to the National Health Commission, the Ministry of Science and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3169003/scientists-call-china-protect-worlds-first-gene-edited-babies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3169003/scientists-call-china-protect-worlds-first-gene-edited-babies?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 03 Mar 2022 04:00:27 +0000 The Chinese scientist who claimed to have created the world’s first gene-edited babies has been sentenced to three years in prison, a year after his research created a storm in the global scientific community.  He Jiankui, the scientist at the center of the controversy, and his two partners were convicted of “illegal practice of medicine” on Thursday for carrying out experiments that resulted in the births of three gene-edited babies, according to the state news agency Xinhua.  He Jiankui,... https://www.scmp.com/science/chinese-scientist-he-jiankui-jailed-three-years-over-gene-edited-babies/article/3043929?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/science/chinese-scientist-he-jiankui-jailed-three-years-over-gene-edited-babies/article/3043929?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Dec 2019 10:00:14 +0000 Chinese scientist He Jiankui, who created the world’s first “gene-edited” babies, has been sentenced to three years in prison and fined 3 million yuan (US$430,000). He, along with two others named Zhang Renli and Qin Jinzhou, was convicted by a Shenzhen court on Monday on charges related to the “illegally carrying out human embryo gene-editing intended for reproduction”, which led to the births of three genetically edited babies, according to state news agency Xinhua. The scientist, from the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3043894/chinas-gene-editing-frankenstein-jailed-3-years-modified-baby?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3043894/chinas-gene-editing-frankenstein-jailed-3-years-modified-baby?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Dec 2019 05:38:35 +0000 By now, practically every aspect of disgraced Chinese biophysicist He Jiankui’s attempt to modify human embryos to make them resistant to HIV has been condemned, in China and internationally. And, as shown by excerpts from his unpublished paper released by MIT Technology Review, Lulu and Nana, the twins the unauthorised experiment gave birth to, are not even HIV resistant, despite the modifications to their genome. The father is HIV-positive, which was what led the parents to He and his team in... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3042347/world-not-ready-edit-genes-human-embryos?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3042347/world-not-ready-edit-genes-human-embryos?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Dec 2019 13:37:30 +0000 At the end of 2018, Chinese researcher He Jiankui roiled the scientific world by announcing he had helped make the world’s first gene-edited babies, altering the DNA of Chinese twin girls to try to make them resistant to HIV, the virus that causes Aids. The scandal brought attention to the scientific, ethical, social and legal challenges of research into gene editing, with a panel convened by the World Health Organization (WHO) director-general saying in March that it would be “irresponsible”... https://www.scmp.com/science/year-after-he-jiankui-baby-gene-editing-scandal-china-technology-advances-globally/article/3042265?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/science/year-after-he-jiankui-baby-gene-editing-scandal-china-technology-advances-globally/article/3042265?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Dec 2019 09:41:13 +0000 In late 2018, Chinese researcher He Jiankui roiled the scientific world by announcing he had helped make the world’s first gene-edited babies, altering the DNA of Chinese twin girls Lula and Nana to try to make them resistant to HIV, the virus that causes Aids. The scandal brought attention to the scientific, ethical, social and legal challenges of research into gene editing, with a panel convened by the World Health Organisation (WHO) director general saying in March that it would be... https://www.scmp.com/tech/science-research/article/3041935/year-chinas-gene-edited-baby-scandal-heres-how-technology-has?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/science-research/article/3041935/year-chinas-gene-edited-baby-scandal-heres-how-technology-has?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Dec 2019 23:30:11 +0000 The gene-editing technology used by controversial Chinese scientist He Jiankui appeared to show no signs of causing unexpected mutations in monkeys, according to a new study, but its lead scientist says it is not ready for use on humans. Professor Su Bing and colleagues at the Kunming Institute of Zoology under the Chinese Academy of Sciences examined rhesus monkeys born from embryos modified by the gene-editing tool CRISPR Cas9 and found no unexpected mutations. The experiment produced four... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3041657/gene-editing-scandal-crispr-cas9-method-does-not-cause-mutations?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3041657/gene-editing-scandal-crispr-cas9-method-does-not-cause-mutations?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Dec 2019 09:45:05 +0000 The whereabouts of a rogue Chinese scientist and his “gene-edited babies” remain a mystery, as the release of more of his research data triggers renewed discussions of his attempt to create the first gene-edited babies.  He Jiankui, former associate professor of life science at Southern University of Science and Technology of China in Shenzhen, shocked the world last year when he announced that he had edited the genes of the twin girls to prevent them from inheriting HIV from their father. The... https://www.scmp.com/science/whereabouts-chinas-gene-editing-scientist-he-jiankui-remains-mystery/article/3040714?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/science/whereabouts-chinas-gene-editing-scientist-he-jiankui-remains-mystery/article/3040714?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Dec 2019 10:39:53 +0000 While the whereabouts of a Chinese scientist at the centre of a gene-editing controversy remain a mystery, most of his research data released publicly this week “for the first time” has been available for about a year, according to Chinese scientists. He Jiankui, former associate professor of life science at Southern University of Science and Technology of China in Shenzhen, shocked the world last year when he announced that he had edited the genes of twin Chinese girls to prevent them from... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3040653/big-mystery-centre-chinas-gene-edited-baby-scandal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3040653/big-mystery-centre-chinas-gene-edited-baby-scandal?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Dec 2019 14:20:38 +0000 The gene edits given to Chinese twins last year meant to immunise them against HIV may have failed in their purpose and created unintended mutations, scientists said on Tuesday after the original research was made public for the first time. Excerpts from the manuscript were released by MIT Technology Review for the purpose of showing how Chinese biophysicist He Jiankui ignored ethical and scientific norms in creating the twins Lula and Nana, whose birth in late 2018 sent shock waves through the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3040460/gene-edited-babies-chinese-scientist-he-jiankui-may-have-created?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3040460/gene-edited-babies-chinese-scientist-he-jiankui-may-have-created?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Dec 2019 20:24:19 +0000 China has announced regulations to curb the smuggling of human organs and tighten oversight on the use of human genetic materials in research, months after a Chinese scientist caused a global outcry by claiming that he gene-edited babies. The announcement comes as He Jiankui’s controversial experiment continues to transfix the scientific community, with researchers saying the procedure may significantly affect life expectancy. The high-profile scientist announced in November that the world’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3014263/china-tightens-rules-genetic-research-after-rogue-scientist-he?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3014263/china-tightens-rules-genetic-research-after-rogue-scientist-he?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Jun 2019 18:03:17 +0000 A rogue Chinese scientist who caused outrage last year when he said he had created the world’s first “gene-edited” babies in an attempt to protect them from HIV may also have put them at risk with a “foolish” choice of gene, experts said on Monday. He Jiankui, then an associate professor at the Southern University of Science and Technology in Shenzhen, China, sparked an international scientific and ethical debate when he said he had used a technology known as CRISPR-Cas9 to alter the embryonic... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3012959/foolish-choice-rogue-chinese-scientist-he-jiankuis-gene-edited?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3012959/foolish-choice-rogue-chinese-scientist-he-jiankuis-gene-edited?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 03 Jun 2019 17:44:01 +0000 Safe production of gene-edited babies could be possible in just one or two years, and the head of China’s leading genetic research programme says the need is now urgent for international regulations to prevent the technology being used as a weapon of mass destruction. Professor Yang Hui said his team had achieved a major breakthrough, tripling the efficiency of a new gene editing tool that can modify DNA in human embryos with unprecedented precision and safety. Once the technology is regarded is... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3012615/gene-editing-breakthrough-china-comes-urgent-call-global-rules?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3012615/gene-editing-breakthrough-china-comes-urgent-call-global-rules?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 31 May 2019 21:00:10 +0000 This story is published in a content partnership with POLITICO. It was originally reported by Sarah Owermohle on politico.com on March 13, 2019. Scientists and ethicists from multiple countries called for an international moratorium on editing the genetic makeup of embryos. Their co-signed editorial in the journal Nature comes four months after researchers around the world were shocked by reports that a scientist in China had edited the embryos of twin girls who were later born with the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3001602/nih-scientists-7-other-countries-call-ban-heritable?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3001602/nih-scientists-7-other-countries-call-ban-heritable?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 Mar 2019 22:37:25 +0000 China is tightening rules on gene-editing, after a Chinese scientist prompted a global outcry by claiming that he had edited the genes of a pair of newborn twins. In a draft regulation released this week, China’s National Health Commission proposed a stringent approval process for biomedical research and heavy penalties for scientists who evade oversight. The proposal, which is now up for public consultation, was made after “China’s Dr. Frankenstein” He Jiankui said he had edited the genes of... https://www.scmp.com/health/china-releases-draft-biotechnology-regulation-after-gene-edited-babies-scandal/article/3000990?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/health/china-releases-draft-biotechnology-regulation-after-gene-edited-babies-scandal/article/3000990?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 28 Feb 2019 10:32:07 +0000 China has unveiled draft regulations on gene editing and other potentially risky new biomedical technologies after a Chinese scientist’s claim of helping to create gene-edited babies upset the global science community. Under the proposed measures, released on Tuesday, technology involving gene editing, gene transfer and gene regulation would be categorised as “high-risk” and placed under the authority of the State Council, China’s cabinet. The draft measures follow claims in November from... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/2187890/china-drafts-gene-editing-rules-after-frankenstein-he-jiankuis?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/2187890/china-drafts-gene-editing-rules-after-frankenstein-he-jiankuis?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 27 Feb 2019 06:29:46 +0000 Imagine: the rogue scientist who stops at nothing to push the bounds of technology – and ethics. His frenzied research leads to the birth of twins– but inadvertently gives them mental abilities far beyond those of the average human. This is no superhero movie. Instead these may have been the actions of controversial Chinese scientist He Jiankui, who shocked the world when he claimed last November to have created the world’s first gene-edited babies. Now it turns out he may have unintentionally... https://www.scmp.com/health/he-jiankuis-gene-editing-may-have-created-babies-enhanced-brains/article/3000928?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/health/he-jiankuis-gene-editing-may-have-created-babies-enhanced-brains/article/3000928?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 25 Feb 2019 09:45:36 +0000 Controversial Chinese scientist He Jiankui, who shocked the world with claims he helped create the first gene-edited babies, may have unintentionally enhanced the brains of the children whose genes he altered, according to scientists. He, who was found to have “seriously violated” Chinese laws in the pursuit of his work, likely changed the cognitive functions of twin girls when he used the gene-editing tool CRISPR to disable the CCR5 gene that allows HIV to infect human cells, the MIT Technology... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/2187497/gene-edited-chinese-babies-may-have-enhanced-brains-scientists?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/2187497/gene-edited-chinese-babies-may-have-enhanced-brains-scientists?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 24 Feb 2019 14:05:16 +0000 Rogue genetic tinkering with human embryos remains one of the worst nightmares of science and governments. The shocking revelation two months ago by Chinese scientist He Jiankui that he had created the world’s first gene-edited babies stoked fears. The risks to humankind of such experimentation are still regarded as too great and are banned for reproductive purposes in China. It is therefore reassuring to hear from the authorities that a preliminary probe has found He wholly responsible for the... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2185493/gene-editing-should-be-met-ethical-response-and-penalties?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2185493/gene-editing-should-be-met-ethical-response-and-penalties?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 Feb 2019 13:53:51 +0000 Stanford University has started a review of interactions that some faculty members had with He Jiankui, the Chinese scientist who claims to have helped make gene-edited babies. Several Stanford professors have said they knew or strongly suspected He wanted to try gene editing on embryos intended for pregnancy. The work has been widely criticised since November, when He revealed the births of twins whose DNA he said he altered to try to help them resist possible future infection with the AIDS... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/2185355/stanford-probes-faculty-ties-china-gene-edited-baby-work-and-scientist-he?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/2185355/stanford-probes-faculty-ties-china-gene-edited-baby-work-and-scientist-he?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 Feb 2019 21:37:38 +0000 The Chinese authorities are holding scientist He Jiankui wholly responsible for creating the world’s first gene-edited babies. He had announced their birth in November, after which the authorities announced an investigation into the matter. A team of investigators told the official Xinhua news agency on Monday that a preliminary investigation had concluded that He had “organised a project team that included foreign staff, which intentionally avoided surveillance and used technology of uncertain... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/2182964/china-confirms-gene-edited-babies-blames-scientist-he-jiankui?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/2182964/china-confirms-gene-edited-babies-blames-scientist-he-jiankui?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 21 Jan 2019 07:45:00 +0000 China’s Ministry of Education is asking universities and their affiliated hospitals for a “low-key” review of their gene research programmes after a Chinese scientist claimed to have created the world’s first gene-edited babies. He Jiankui, a former researcher at Southern University of Science and Technology in Shenzhen, was nicknamed “China’s Frankenstein” after he claimed that he and his team had modified the embryos of twin girls to switch off an HIV-related gene inherited from their... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/2179667/chinese-education-ministry-calls-universities-and-hospitals-low?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/2179667/chinese-education-ministry-calls-universities-and-hospitals-low?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 27 Dec 2018 11:02:50 +0000 I am writing in response to your report on the recent bioethics controversy spurred by revelations made at a science conference in Hong Kong (“China says it will punish those involved in gene-edited baby project”, November 29). International experts at the Human Genome Editing summit described claims by mainland Chinese scientist He Jiankui concerning the creation of gene-edited babies as “unexpected and deeply disturbing”. We are living in an era of rapid technological advancement. Gene... https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/2179598/why-doubts-about-human-gene-editing-serve-greater-good-humanity?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/2179598/why-doubts-about-human-gene-editing-serve-greater-good-humanity?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 27 Dec 2018 05:02:03 +0000 It has been astonishing to see the transformation of this world, from developing cutting-edge technology to being controlled and threatened by the very same technology. We have mastered all the techniques and the knowledge, but often we end up facing its negative side. Case in point: babies born via gene-editing and the storm of controversy it has whipped up (“Chinese scientist He Jiankui apologies for sparking controversy, but says he is proud of his achievement”, November 28). The announcement... https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/2178744/why-chinese-scientist-who-created-gene-edited-babies-has-found-it?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/2178744/why-chinese-scientist-who-created-gene-edited-babies-has-found-it?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 21 Dec 2018 05:00:38 +0000 Authorities in the south China city of Shenzhen are considering drafting local guidelines for the ethical review of biomedical research involving humans after a local scientist shocked the world last month by claiming he had created the first ever gene-edited twins. Representatives of the biomedical ethics committee and health and family planning commission attended a meeting to discuss the issue on Tuesday, according to a social media post by the Shenzhen PKU-HKUST Medical Centre. University... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/2178953/chinese-city-where-frankenstein-scientist-produced-gene-edited?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/2178953/chinese-city-where-frankenstein-scientist-produced-gene-edited?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 20 Dec 2018 13:00:15 +0000 Chinese scientist He Jiankui shook the world last month when he claimed that he had created the world’s first gene-edited babies. On Thursday, He was named by the science journal Nature as a member of a select group of 10 people “who mattered” in 2018. But unlike the nine other nominees, mostly scientists, He stands out on the list as a figure whose work’s impact on humanity is questionable at best. Nature called the Chinese scientist the “CRISPR rogue,” referring to the shorthand for the... https://www.scmp.com/science/chinese-scientist-he-jiankui-chosen-nature-10-people-who-mattered-2018/article/2178912?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/science/chinese-scientist-he-jiankui-chosen-nature-10-people-who-mattered-2018/article/2178912?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 20 Dec 2018 10:00:45 +0000 The shocking revelation by a scientist that a pair of twin girls have had their genetic make-up successfully altered to disable a HIV-related gene by means of genome editing has caused quite a controversy around the globe, with those lambasting the scientist for being unethical outnumbering people hailing him as a hero for the scientific breakthrough (“Scientists line up to take aim at research behind Chinese biologist He Jiankui’s gene-edited babies”, November 28). The tweaking of the girls’... https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/2176519/why-parents-gene-edited-babies-are-unlikely-have-peace-mind-they?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/2176519/why-parents-gene-edited-babies-are-unlikely-have-peace-mind-they?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 05 Dec 2018 18:52:44 +0000 Before he fell from grace for his controversial claim to have altered the genes of two babies before they were born, Chinese scientist He Jiankui was a rising star, the man behind a potentially industry-shaking genome sequencer and the recipient of millions in grants from the mainland authorities. Following his announcement last week of the birth of reportedly HIV-resistant twin girls to a HIV-positive father and HIV-negative mother in November, the academic has found himself the subject of an... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/2176131/gene-editing-controversy-chinese-scientist-he?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/2176131/gene-editing-controversy-chinese-scientist-he?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 03 Dec 2018 09:00:54 +0000 A university in southern China has dismissed claims that its controversial former employee He Jiankui, the scientist who claimed to have produced the world’s first gene-edited babies, has been detained. A spokeswoman for the Shenzhen-based Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTC) said: “Right now nobody’s information is accurate, only the official channels are.” But she declined to elaborate on this matter, saying: “We cannot answer any questions regarding the matter right now, but... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/2176109/university-denies-chinese-frankenstein-has-been-detained-over?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/2176109/university-denies-chinese-frankenstein-has-been-detained-over?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 03 Dec 2018 06:24:45 +0000 Had it not been for Chinese scientist He Jiankui, the Second International Summit on Human Genome Editing would not have received much fanfare. A couple of news articles would have mentioned Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor’s speech at the summit, and maybe highlighted figures to make Hong Kong look good. We would have gone on with our lives without giving gene editing much thought.  Come on, admit it. You don’t remember Lam’s policy address last year, in which she announced that a... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/united-states/article/2175834/why-world-should-thank-not-blame-crazy-gene?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/united-states/article/2175834/why-world-should-thank-not-blame-crazy-gene?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 02 Dec 2018 22:00:30 +0000 Most of the responses to the claims by Dr He Jiankui of creating the world’s first “gene-edited” human babies miss a key fact in the gene biology of the story. The organiser of the summit at which Dr He presented his paper has made a rather cautious statement about the lack of transparency and questioned the experimental necessity of He’s work. Wisely, Wei Wensheng, a biologist from Peking University has touched on something closer to the heart of a real issue associated with this work: the... https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/2175766/why-gene-edited-babies-have-been-scientific-red-line-target-risks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/2175766/why-gene-edited-babies-have-been-scientific-red-line-target-risks?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 02 Dec 2018 00:33:33 +0000 Scientist He Jiankui found himself the unlikely focus of attention of the international scientific community last Monday, as he declared that he had created the first genetically modified babies in the world – more specifically, babies whose genes have been edited in a manner that prevents them from being infected by HIV. There are two main strands of criticism that have been launched against He: the first concerns his flagrant lack of professionalism, in flouting legal and ethical standards... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2175959/he-jiankuis-genetic-adventurism-might-setback-progress?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2175959/he-jiankuis-genetic-adventurism-might-setback-progress?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 01 Dec 2018 12:15:00 +0000 Following Chinese scientist He Jiankui’s claim this week to have created the world’s first genetically edited babies – twin girls Nana and Lulu – the use of the technology that made this possible has come under international scrutiny. Here are some of the other ways Chinese scientists have used CRISPR-Cas9 (CRISPR being short for clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats) to edit genomes: What is gene editing? Who’s doing it? And is it right? 1. World’s first cloned dog Last... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/2175798/gene-edited-babies-how-chinese-scientists-created-super?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/2175798/gene-edited-babies-how-chinese-scientists-created-super?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 30 Nov 2018 09:05:52 +0000 Dr He Jiankui, the Chinese scientist who claims to have created the world’s first gene-edited babies, has received at least $40 million (298 million yuan) in funding for his two biotech start-ups from Chinese and international investors.  He has defended his work against a chorus of criticism from scientists, who questioned the ethics and medical justification for his use of gene-editing technology on humans.  The global gene modification therapy market is rapidly growing and is expected to... https://www.scmp.com/business/investors-behind-he-jiankui-chinese-scientist-who-claims-have-created-genetically-edited-babies/article/2175607?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/investors-behind-he-jiankui-chinese-scientist-who-claims-have-created-genetically-edited-babies/article/2175607?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 29 Nov 2018 10:00:00 +0000 China’s Ministry of Science and Technology has ordered research institutes to suspend all the scientific projects of Chinese scientist He Jiankui, who claims to have created the world’s first gene-edited babies. He’s announcement earlier this week shocked the world, and on Thursday prompted a group of international experts to call for an independent assessment to verify his claim that twin sisters were born this month from embryos modified to disable a gene related to HIV infection. The group of... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/2175595/international-experts-blast-mainland-chinese?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/2175595/international-experts-blast-mainland-chinese?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 29 Nov 2018 07:15:30 +0000 Hong Kong scientists have warned of far-reaching effects on humans and consequences that will not be seen for several generations after a Chinese scientist claimed he had created the world’s first gene-edited babies. Dr He Jiankui’s experiment to alter the DNA of twin babies – also known as germ line gene editing – means the changes in those genes could be passed on and inherited by the next generations. “By doing this, He is changing the human gene pool, we may not be able to see the impact of... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/2175534/chinese-scientist-he-jiankuis-gene-edited-babies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/2175534/chinese-scientist-he-jiankuis-gene-edited-babies?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 29 Nov 2018 04:00:39 +0000 Dr He Jiankui, the Chinese scientist who claims to have created the world’s first gene-edited babies, has received at least 298 million yuan (US$43 million) in funding for his two biotech start-ups from Chinese and international investors. Shenzhen Direct Genomics Biotechnology, a Shenzhen-based genome sequencing firm that He chairs and has a 33.2 stake, received 218 million yuan in Series A funding round in April, according to a statement on its website earlier this year. The funding was led... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/2175486/who-are-investors-supporting-he-jiankui-chinese-scientist?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/2175486/who-are-investors-supporting-he-jiankui-chinese-scientist?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 29 Nov 2018 02:00:30 +0000 The scientific community is largely aghast at the claim that a woman in China gave birth to the world’s first genetically edited babies earlier this month, born from embryos modified to make the twins resistant to HIV infection. The announcement was made on Monday by Chinese scientist He Jiankui on the eve of the Second International Summit on Human Genome Editing, held in Hong Kong, where the world’s leading thinkers in the field have converged to discuss the technology and its ethics. His... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/2175468/what-gene-editing-whos-doing-it-and-it-right?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/2175468/what-gene-editing-whos-doing-it-and-it-right?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 29 Nov 2018 01:02:00 +0000 Scientists lined up to criticise Chinese biologist He Jiankui on Wednesday as he sought to defend his work on what he says are the world’s first genetically edited babies. He claimed earlier this week that twin girls had been born in China this month from two embryos he and a team of researchers had altered to protect them against HIV. At the Second International on Human Genome Editing the University of Hong Kong, Nobel laureate and biologist David Baltimore said he did not think the work was... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/2175484/scientists-line-take-aim-chinese-research-behind-gene-edited?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/2175484/scientists-line-take-aim-chinese-research-behind-gene-edited?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 28 Nov 2018 14:47:39 +0000 After lying low since news of the possible creation of the world’s first gene-edited babies broke this week, the Chinese researcher behind the controversial experiment has resurfaced in Hong Kong to justify his actions. He Jiankui, dubbed in some corners “China’s Dr Frankenstein,” told a packed auditorium at an international genome editing conference that he was “proud” of his research, which some fellow scientists have criticized as unethical or even monstrous. “There are millions of families... https://www.scmp.com/science/scientist-he-jiankui-defends-gene-editing-babies-leaves-questions-unanswered/article/2175418?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/science/scientist-he-jiankui-defends-gene-editing-babies-leaves-questions-unanswered/article/2175418?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 28 Nov 2018 10:15:15 +0000 The Chinese scientist who stunned the world by claiming to have created the first gene-edited babies finally faced his peers and the public on Wednesday, apologising for the storm he unleashed but defending his highly controversial experiment and expressing pride in his achievement. After first dropping the bombshell in a video posted on the internet that he had engineered the birth of healthy twin girls through altered embryos to ensure they would not contract HIV, He Jiankui – who has been... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/2175370/chinese-scientist-he-jiankui-apologises-says-he?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/2175370/chinese-scientist-he-jiankui-apologises-says-he?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 28 Nov 2018 06:00:45 +0000