Chinese Scientists Genetically Modify Human Embryos—Again

Just one year after scientists in China made history by modifying the DNA of human embryos, a second team of Chinese researchers has done it again. Using CRISPR/Cas9, the researchers introduced HIV-resistance into the embryos, showcasing the tremendous potential for gene-editing.

In that earlier work, the Chinese scientists modified a gene responsible for a fatal blood disorder, but the embryos were quickly destroyed after the experiment. It was a watershed moment in biotechnology, showcasing the tremendous potential of CRISPR—a powerful gene editing tool—to alter our offspring at the genetic level. Should this technology ever reach the clinical stage, it could be used to eliminate all sorts of genetic diseases, but it could also be used to introduce entirely new capacities.

Now, as reported in Nature News, a research team led by Yong Fan at Guangzhou Medical University has used CRISPR to introduce a beneficial mutation that cripples an immune-cell gene called CCR5. Some humans naturally have this built-in immunity to HIV, making it impossible for the virus to infiltrate human immune cells.

For the study, the researchers collected 213 fertilized human eggs, donated by 87 patients. All of the embryos were unsuitable for in vitro fertilization because they contained an extra set of chromosomes. The researchers destroyed the embryos after three days. (Read more from “Chinese Scientists Genetically Modify Human Embryos—Again” HERE)

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