The Chinese scientist sent to prison for producing the first “edited” babies has spoken out after his release from prison. He Jiankui says he will “prevent” HIV, Alzheimer’s disease and other issues through his work – and for a small cost.
The disgraced expert had dedicated plenty of time on human embryo genome editing, which he believes will create a generation with little to no diseases and health issues. His ethics were put into question, and he was later imprisoned for three years. It was revealed that he genetically modified twin sisters, Lulu and Nana, before their birth. Courts and scientists accused him of not giving the family proper care or guidance after recruiting them through an advert.
(Image: Getty Images)
Nevertheless, Jiankui says he’s “proud” of Lulu and Nana and hopes to continue his work in the field. Sharing a photo of himself in the lab via X, he shared his future intentions to his 23,000 followers.
“Alzheimer’s disease prevention, HIV resistance, lowering cholesterol(familial hypercholesterolemia) will be among the first approved gene editing therapies before birth,” he wrote.
Before that, he shared a somewhat apology to his page when he was released from Chinese prison. “I will apologize for the gene edited baby experiment, only if their parents have requested it. However, they are happy with the results now,” he said.
Many scientists have questioned his ethics, claiming he would create a demand for “designer babies,” which would make richer parents create genetically superior children free from certain diseases.
In terms of price, Jiankui shared his business plan. He wrote on X: “Gene editing therapy before birth will be priced at a few thousands of dollars, affordable to most families.”
(Image: Getty Images/Science Photo Library RF)
Jiankui used advanced technology to create the genetic modification. The procedure is known as Crispr-Cas9, which identifies specific DNA sequences which could hold future conditions, and then uses an enzyme to cut the DNA at that location. The cell naturally repairs the cut, which could completely get rid of the certain gene aspect.
He used this process on the children, which he claimed made them immune to HIV. When questioned, he said both the children were well and unscathed, which he took as a success.
For his future plans, Jiankui told Japanese newspaper Mainichi Shimbun: “We will use discarded human embryos and comply with both domestic and international rules.” However, he emphasised that he has no plan to create more modified babies for the time being, and will instead be focusing on his research.
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