Chinese scientist who said he gene-edited babies is reportedly missing

Chinese scientist who said he gene-edited babies is reportedly missing
globalnews.ca...

Chinese scientist He Jiankui, who shocked the scientific community by claiming he had created the world’s first gene-edited babies, has gone missing, according to Chinese media.

He has not been seen in public since Wednesday last week, when he attended the Second International Summit on Human Genome Editing in Hong Kong to discuss his claims...

He said he used a gene editing technology known as CRISPR-Cas9 to alter the embryonic genes of twin girls born last month. If true, this is the first time it’s ever been done.

The Chinese government even ordered a temporary halt to research activities for people involved in the editing of human genes, calling the research “extremely nasty” and “abominable in nature.” China’s Health Commission said on its website on Wednesday that it had set up a team to investigate the case and that He’s research violated Chinese law.

According to the South China Morning Post, He is under house arrest at the Southern University of Science and Technology in Shenzhen, China — the institution that employs him and from which he has been on leave since February.

However, the university has denied this, with a spokeswoman telling the South China Morning Post: “Right now, nobody’s information is accurate, only the official channels are.”

So I put this into the gray area because scientists who are trying to "better" the world through gene-editing are going to be faced either good and bad critics. But actually gene-editing humans is a very sensitive topic. If China is trying to protect its face by not performing unethical experiments, it wouldn't be a surprise to me that the government has something to do with this case in hiding the scientist from public view until the cloud settles.



I just hope for the sake of this scientist he wasn't in imminent danger upon releasing his studies to the world about the creation of HIV-resistant babies...even though his passion for gene editing may have gotten him into some deep trouble.

I just hope for the sake of this scientist he wasn't in imminent danger upon releasing his studies to the world

I DO, he is/was a terrible scientist and did a terrible job trying to do something completely unethical.

The mother didnt even sign consent forms, he half assed the editing, only half of the CCP5 genes were actually edited. there was no underlying condition to fix. there were no animal trial to test the effects of turning that particular gene off. he just did it cuz he thought he could. he's a POS and deserves to burn.

im not even against gene editing in human, this is NOT how you go about it.

a reply to: Skywatcher2011

Mutations happen naturally over generations or there wouldn't be speciation. So pissing around with human genomes is gonna have unpredictable outcomes swinging from debilitating to #ing awesome.

Nobody should be doing this on people until they know more about the outcomes. It's playing God with people and playing dice with consequences.

Jiankiu needs some crispr on his arrogance gene. If he's in custody I'm down with it. He could have easily skipped town cos the authorities were not impressed.

a reply to: Skywatcher2011

How much you wanna bet the Chinese government actually knows where he is ?

a reply to: SilverOwls

They shouldn't be doing it at all, but hey what could go wrong with superhumans. It's not like they wont eventually come around and break our necks like toothpicks when we are no longer convenient.

My point being, theres already so.much divide in the world, so now we need another group of people who see themselves as different from everyone else ?

I mean, your talking to a guy who has stronger bone density than the average person. There was no genetic modification done, it just naturally occured in my DNA. That means I'm stronger and able to resist physical damage better than the average person, and believe me its true. I can't tell you how many car accidents or accidents in general i've walked away from without a broken bone or major damage to my body. That's the truth too, no matter how much you might want to get upset about it or whether it ruins your day.

There used to be this fuss over stem cell research in the USA decades ago, at least until they knew how to convert regular cells back into stem cells.

If he modifies one mutant variant of a gene into another variant that is already dominant in the human genome that won't be a problem. If he starts creating custom genes, that's going to cause all sorts of problems.

Thank you government of China for getting rid of that scientist. His work was setting precedent to get gene editing accepted by anyone who wanted it done. We do not need genetically altered humans or animals in this world, there is no telling how these altered humans will effect the microbes, it could lead to some nasty diseases being spread.

It’s hard enough avoiding GMO food. Now we have to avoid GMO people. What a freaking world we live in these days.

Another problem is that by creating a human being who is immune to a killer disease, is that you can then weaponise said disease and release it.

Depopulate the earth while ensuring the survival of a select few "elite" people.

The People's Republic of China is already social engineering in big and controversial ways with it's "social credit" behavioural scores.

Immunology and genetic engineering could be seen as a social engineering tool by the ideologically motivated.

My initial thought was he wont be dead but probably been "employed" by some ultra rich family, locked up and forced to alter their family genes for futureproofing, but it would seem that he is one of many who can perform the procedure but he is willing ethically to perform the procedure and make it public.

Who is to say then that this has not already been carried out multiple times just never publicised, maybe they already walk among us

Baaaaaaaa

that was 22 years ago

a reply to: UpIsNowDown

He is deader than ross perots presidential dreams.