On November 26, another great scientific achievement was announced by he Jiankui, a scientist from Shenzhen, China. A pair of genetically coded babies named Lulu and Nana were born healthy in China in November. This is the world's first birth of an HIV immune baby! This means a symbol of Science in our country! And why does the network netizen mood upgrade frequently?
What is immune AIDS gene editor baby?
Using the 'CRISPR / cas9' gene editing technology, the team injected cas9 protein and specific guiding sequence into a single cell fertilized egg during the fertilized egg period, with a length of about 5 microns, about 1 / 20 fine hair needle, and modified the specified gene.
Gene operation modified CCR5 gene, which is one of the main acceptors for HIV to invade human cells. After genetic modification, the twins were born with natural resistance to AIDS.
The first case of HIV / AIDS gene editing infant has aroused widespread concern.
At about 11:00 on November 25, the people's Daily reported that the world's first child immunized against AIDS was born in China. Later, it was reprinted on Weibo, which triggered discussion among netizens. This event soon became a hot topic.
The first case of gene editing of immune AIDS caused controversy
This news has attracted the public's attention, aroused different voices, and marveled at China's progress!
Chen Zhiwei, director of the AIDS Research Institute of the Li Ka Shing Medical College of the University of Hong Kong, suggested that 'news that has not been officially published should not be publicized indiscriminately, let alone commented on. But in editing CCR5 on healthy embryos, Chen Zhiwei said: 'this is unreasonable. '
(2) Is it necessary to prevent AIDS in this way
Chen Zhiwei, director of the Institute of AIDS at the Li Ka Shing Medical School of the University of Hong Kong, suggested that 'HIV infected fathers and healthy mothers are 100% able to have healthy and hateful children without any need for CCR5 editing. This is immoral for newborns, who are a healthy and educated good child and will not be infected with HIV. '
Lu Hongzhou, member of the disease prevention and control expert committee of the national health and Health Commission and vice leader of the AIDS amateur group of the Infectious Diseases Society of the Chinese Medical Association, suggested: 'the mother infant block of AIDS is extremely mature. If you are worried about the parent-child inheritance of AIDS, the mother treatment can be used. Why do you want to do this research? What is the value of its research? '
(3) May cause other health hazards.
Xie anyong, a professor at the Institute of translational medicine, Zhejiang University, told reporters: 'the first feeling is that it's hard to believe that it's not feasible in technology, but many side effects are difficult to eliminate. We can only hope that these two children have a healthy future. '
Lu Hongzhou, member of the disease prevention and control expert committee of the national health and Health Commission and vice leader of the AIDS amateur group of the Infectious Diseases Society of the Chinese Medical Association, suggested: 'every part of the human body is indispensable and is a very natural life. In addition to ethics, doing this can lead to other unpredictable things, which need to be considered. '
Xiao Jiang, deputy chief physician of the Central Committee for diagnosis and treatment of infectious diseases in Ditan Hospital, Beijing: 'this theory is feasible. Now, AIDS gene therapy is under discussion, and this idea is also one of the directions of AIDS treatment in the future. But the success rate is very low, it's hard to say whether children can cause cancer or other unknown diseases in the future.
(4) No formal ethics review applied
The reporter learned from the medical ethics Expert Committee of Shenzhen health and family planning commission that the test had not been reported to the Department before it was carried out and was in a meeting for research.
(5) The project was ethical reviewed in Putian hospital.
The 'examination application of medical ethics committee of Shenzhen and beauty pediatric hospital' shows that the project was approved by medical ethics committee of Shenzhen and beauty pediatric hospital.
(6) The hospital said it was not involved in the project.
On the afternoon of November 26, Shenzhen and the hospital of Pediatrics and gynaecology responded to the reporters on the interface, denying that the hospital was related to the incident. We have not received relevant information. We do not know why the incident was hot searched. We are investigating. "As for whether he Jiankui is affiliated with Shenzhen and the United States for relevant research, Shenzhen and the United States said that they do not understand the situation.".
(7) Is the operation completely successful
According to the people's daily, the results of umbilical cord blood tests on babies undergoing genetic surgery proved that the operation was successful and no missed diagnosis was found. "The study was conducted on twins, one of whom was not successfully edited," interface News reported. '
Foreign opinion
"It's unreasonable," Kiran musunuru, gene editor at the University of Pennsylvania, told the associated press.
"It's too early now," says geneticist and head of the Scripps Research and Translation Institute in California.
The Associated Press reported that many mainstream scientists thought it was too unsafe, and some even denounced the study as a 'human experiment'.
Response of parties
Chen Yuanlin, the media director of he Jiankui, hinted to the media on the 26th: 'Professor He didn't accept the media interview at the beginning, but in a few days he responded in opposition. In this study, more information could not be disclosed, not because the mother was sick with AIDS, nor the hospital where the baby was born, because personal privacy could not be said too much. '
Internet emotional change
47.6% of Internet users chose "no support, fear, ethical issues", 30.5% chose "neutral wait-and-see", 21.9% chose "support" to reduce the risk of serious diseases.
From an emotional point of view, online emotional events were initially 'good', praising China's leading scientific research achievements. However, with the emergence of controversy, other emotions began to appear. We are waiting for more responses from the parties and the media on how the incident developed.