This Man Claims He Helped Make The World's First Genetically Edited Babies (HBO)

Speaking publicly for the first time in Hong Kong, Chinese researcher He Jiankui revealed a second genetically edited pregnancy is underway. VICE News talks to a bioethicist about the recent headline alleging the first successful use of human genetic editing.

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[Splenda]

As long as this technology exists, it's almost inevitable that someone is going to use it outside of the ethical guidelines of mainstream science.

[gm]

I'm sure the human race could get to a point that having genetically modified babies will be the norm and not having a baby genetically modified could become as controversial as not having your children vaccinated.

[circleofsorrow]

We are all either incredibly fortunate or unfortunate to be alive in this time 🤷‍♂️

[dilliotk]

we all know how this turns out. #clonewars

[khavaliar]

The problem with this technology is not about morality... But more about the unknown risks.. you can edit genes and then affect future generations... Making mutated babies..

[panama-canada]

2:40 - “enhancing IQ should be banned”? Why???

[cademancaden]

Ok, that's great now use these brilliant minds & find a cure for cancer PLEASE

[deeb]

People might hate it now but you will appreciate it soon.

[Joseph-mwrl]

We can't let risks prevent us from making technological advances. All medical treatments, like surgery, chemo, radiotherapy. All were extremely dangerous at first. Many people died due to botched experiments. But the pay off is huge. No more horrifying genetic defects, babies born with 3 arms or with a hole in their heart. It is definitely worth the sacrifice we make now

[varna]

He Jiankuis has done a good and very kind thing for this family, and he did it because he knew how, He knew it needed to be done and weather he did it or not someone would of .

[teasipper]

The biggest ethical problem with what this guy did is that right now gene editing technology is not safe for making edited babies. The editing process itself can introduce serious unintended mutations that can cause cancer and developmental disorders. The embryos that are edited often emerge as a mosaic of cells with different edits and mutations (which is what happened with at least one of the girls). The gene sequencing technology currently available is inadequate for reliably detecting errors to ensure a healthy baby.

Because of all these problems, the babies He brought in to the world may well develop serious genetic diseases in time. They could also potentially pass harmful mutations to their progeny.

He's argument about HIV make no sense. Using proper IVF techniques, the babies would essentially have no risk of getting HIV from their father. The edits he made to their CCR5 gene are likely insufficient for protection against HIV variants prevalent in China. CCR5 has other important functions that might now be compromised in these girls. There are much safer ways to prevent HIV: safe sex and avoiding sharing needles for drug use.

[Kakerate]

The problem is changing our genome without understanding precisely how gene expression works. Evolution has fine tuned our genes in some sense, whereas this guys homebrew gene code hasnt been tested in the real world. Interesting, yet spooky what the future will hold.

[obsidianstatue]

if science is not tied down by ethics, we'd probably be close to realize life extension technologies.
btw he couldn't publish it in peer reviewed journal is because it's an ethical violation for all major publications.
Few years back Nature journal (the most renowned peer reviewed journal), wouldn't publish another Chinese geneticist's work on gene editing on embryos, that guy had to publish it in a lesser known journal, but this one is a very large leap in ethics.

[TheObsidianOrderSector]

No need to doubt, just go and verify and test the children if his claims are true, simple.

[robertlura]

It seems like this is something that is fairly simple to accomplish for someone with the right training. What's stopping anyone from doing this in a private clinic?

[brislanemanhaha]

Leonardo da vinci was treated by society the same way this man is

[Daniel-vdhm]

Regardless of whether he helped the child, the fact that he did this on his own, breaking protocols, with zero oversight, is so so wrong. This man isn't above the law and I hope there's serious consequences for his actions.

[Starkada]

Next up to debate, whether these humans will have the same rights as others that are non altered

[Zakyrie]

I love the way his name is pronounced: Huh!

[justice]

An army that won’t die so easily as us