No crime
American scientists are engaged in gene editing of embryos without violating the law
Dmitry Mazalevsky, Naked Science
Unlike Chinese scientist He Jiankui, who shocked the world last November with the news of the creation of the first genetically modified children, scientists from Columbia University observe ethical norms and rules and do not allow embryos to develop longer than one day.
In November last year, a scandal related to gene editing broke out in the scientific community: Chinese scientist He Jiankui announced the creation of the first genetically edited children. He forged documents and used untested technologies on people. The Chinese authorities confirmed the existence of CRISPR children and the presence of one pregnancy and said that Jiankui would be punished.
According to the preliminary investigation, the scientist "organized a project team including foreign personnel who deliberately avoided supervision and used unsafe technology to perform gene editing of human embryos for the purpose of reproduction, which is officially prohibited by law."
Otherwise, the work of a biologist from Columbia University Dieter Egli (Dieter Egli) will be built. According to media reports, he is conducting his own research on editing human genes, but instead of endangering human lives, as a scientist from China did, Egli's research, on the contrary, should help children.
Egli uses CRISPR technology to gene-edit human embryos in such a way that the child can avoid an inherited genetic defect that can lead to blindness. The same CRISPR method was used by Jiangkui, but, unlike the Chinese researcher, Egli destroys embryos a day after editing them. According to him, a group of scientists under his leadership is not trying to "create children", and therefore none of these cells will get into a woman's uterus. In addition, unlike Jiankui's work, Egli's research is closely monitored by a group of other scientists and bioethicists, carefully studying the plan of each laboratory experiment.
According to an employee of Columbia University, these studies are necessary if humanity really intends to use CRISPR technology to prevent hereditary diseases, many of which are fatal.
"We can't just edit it and then hope that everything will be fine and insert the embryo into the uterus. That would be irresponsible. First, it is necessary to conduct a number of basic studies in order to study all the processes, which is what we are doing now," Egli says.
However, if the approach is successful, Egli will probably allow the embryos to develop further. Now he is trying to correct one of the genetic defects that cause retinitis pigmentosa – a hereditary form of blindness. If this works, scientists will have hope that the method will help blind people carrying the mutation to have children with normal vision. The researcher hopes that someday doctors will be able to edit human embryonic DNA to prevent many congenital diseases, such as Tay-Sachs disease, cystic fibrosis and Huntington's disease.
According to American scientist Jennifer Dudna, one of the key figures in the creation of CRISPR technologies, conducting such research makes sense, but should be carried out carefully and in accordance with the correct regulatory requirements. However, not everyone shares this point of view.
"We don't need to mess with the genes of future children. This can open the door to a world where people who were born genetically modified are considered superior to others, which will lead to a society of people who are considered genetically "better" and genetically "worse," says Marcy Darnovsky, a researcher in the field of human biotechnology.
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