We Don't Need More Reasons to Reject Heritable Genome Modification
By Katie Hasson,
The Hill
| 06. 10. 2019
Late last year, scientist He Jiankui announced the birth of the world’s first genetically modified babies. He deployed a technology known as CRISPR to alter the genomes of two embryos that he used to initiate a pregnancy; their mother carried the pregnancy until the two girls, publicly called Lulu and Nana, were delivered prematurely by C-section.
The response of scientists, bioethicists, and the public was immediate and overwhelmingly negative. He’s reckless actions violated Chinese regulations, crossed a bright line that dozens of countries have written into their laws, flouted nearly every rule of medical ethics, and exposed two girls to grave and unknowable risks.
This week, a study emerged highlighting the dangers of what He did, especially based on our current level of understanding. He attempted to disable a gene called CCR5 by producing a variant that has been shown to confer resistance to HIV. But the new study suggests that having non-working copies of CCR5 actually has an overall negative effect on health, specifically a 21 percent increase in mortality before age 76.
These findings...
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The Center for Genetics and Society is delighted to recommend the current edition of GMWatch Review – Number 589. UK-based GMWatch, a long-standing ally, was founded in 1998 by Jonathan Matthews as an independent organization seeking to counter the enormous corporate political power and propaganda of the GMO industry and its supporters. Matthews and Claire Robinson are its directors and managing editors.
CGS works to ensure that social justice, equity, human rights, and democratic governance are front...
