A Chinese government official has declared the research of scientist He Jiankui, who said he created the world’s first gene-edited babies, a violation of Chinese law, and called for all related work to be halted.
A Chinese government official has declared the research of scientist He Jiankui, who said he created the world’s first gene-edited babies, a violation of Chinese law, and called for all related work to be halted.
“The genetically edited infant incident reported by media blatantly violated China’s relevant laws and regulations,” Xu Nanping, a vice-minister for science and technology, told Chinese state broadcaster CCTV Thursday evening. “It has also violated the ethical bottom line that the academic community adheres to. It is shocking and unacceptable.”
Earlier this week, national and local authorities said investigations had been launched into Mr He’s work and conduct after videos and interviews from him and his lab were published on Youtube, and by two prominent Western media outlets.
The shocking claims have yet to be independently verified by experts and published in a journal, though if true, would represent a monumental leap in biomedical research.
