Chinese ‘designer baby’ claim condemned by British scientists

Reports of the world’s first genetically modified babies being born in China have been branded “monstrous” and “shocking” by British scientists.

Professor He Jiankui claims he employed a widely used gene-editing tool to create the twin girls, Lulu and Nana.

In a filmed interview with the Associated Press news agency he said the babies, born a few weeks ago, had their DNA changed to protect them from HIV.

Prof He, who has a laboratory at the Southern University of Science and Technology in the Chinese city of Shenzhen, maintains that he altered embryos for seven couples who agreed to the procedures.

Six attempts involving 11 embryos resulted in one twin pregnancy, he said.

Prof He claims to have eliminated a gene called CCR5 to make the girls resistant to the Aids virus HIV.

In the video he said: “I understand my work will be controversial, but I believe families need this technology.”

However Prof He’s work has not been published or verified, and doubts have been cast on his claims.

British experts reacted with horror to the report, assuming it was true.

In most countries including the UK, the law forbids any attempt to create genetically engineered human babies.

Scientists pointed out that although the gene-editing system used, CRISPR/Cas9, is extremely powerful, it could still cause serious harm by generating “off target” alterations to DNA.

Fertility scientist and broadcaster Lord Winston, professor of science and society at Imperial College London, said: “If this is a false report, it is scientific misconduct and deeply irresponsible.

“If true, it is still scientific misconduct.

“The foetus cannot give informed consent. Moreover, this is an experiment likely to go wrong as CRISPR/Cas9 is not totally reliable and there may be all kinds (of) effects, physical and mental, which could be devastating.”

Dr Kathy Niakan, group leader at the Francis Crick Institute in London, who has carried out research into miscarriages using CRISPR/Cas9, said: “If true, the report is very concerning. This would be a highly irresponsible, unethical and dangerous use of genome-editing technology.

“In the UK, it is rightly illegal to establish a pregnancy from a genome-edited embryo.”

Joyce Harper, professor in genetics and human embryology at University College London, said: “Today’s report of genome-editing human embryos for resistance to HIV is premature, dangerous and irresponsible.”

Professor Julian Savulescu, director of the Uehiro Centre for Practical Ethics at Oxford University, said: “If true, this experiment is monstrous.”

Leading obstetrics expert Professor Peter Braude, from King’s College London, said: “It was inevitable that someone trying to reach the limelight would likely try this. However it is often better to be safe than to be first.”