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A team of Chinese scientists published 86 genetically human embryos, in order to correct the gene responsible for beta-thalassemia, an inherited disease and potentially fatal. The controversy quickly jump.
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The first modification of human embryos in history, conducted by Chinese scientists has just triggered an intense debate about the limits of genetic manipulation.
The goal of the research team at the University SunYat-sen, Guanzhou, led by geneticist Jujnjiu Huang, was to correct the gene responsible for beta-thalassemia, an inherited blood disease and potentially fatal.
To do an advanced technique used editing genes called CRISPR by the acronym for Short palindromic repeats Spaced each other and Agrupadas.
Allows altering faster, accurate and detailed any position of the 23 pairs of chromosomes in the genome without mistakes or introduce unwanted mutations.
The therapy was discovered five years ago and has since been used successfully to correct adult human cells and embryonic cells of other species.
However, human embryos does not seem so efficient.
At least not in the research developed by the team of Huang.
The researchers implemented in 86 embryos, of which 71 survived. They could edit successfully 28 and only managed to correct the gene for beta-thalassemia in four of them.
Although scientists do not say whether the result is due to a problem with the technique or the embryos themselves, . which were obtained from assisted reproduction centers
For ethical reasons, were not viable embryos; that is, they had an extra copy of chromosome in each cell, so that could not develop in them a normal fetus.
But whatever the reason for the result, “Our work illustrates the need to improve the CRISPR / Cas9 (…) technique before any clinical application, “concluded the researchers in the research, entitled Edition mediated gene CRISPR / Cas9 in human zygotes tripronucleares and published by the journal Protein & amp;. Cell
Before you offer it to this medium scientists had tried to publish the work in two journals most renowned, Nature and Science, but both rejected on ethical grounds.
These outlets published articles last month review of the biomedical community leaders in calling for a moratorium on genetic manipulation of germ cells, as eggs, sperm and embryonic cells.
And after that came to light studio scientists SunYat-sen University’s reviews have been added and the controversy has begun to sound louder.
Most of those who have raised their voices insist on what the same researchers said. It is too early for clinical application
In this group belongs Jennifer Doudna, scientist at the University of California at Berkeley, USA, who developed the technique CRISPR. “The study emphasizes that the technique itself is not ready to be applied clinically in human germ cells”
David Baltimore Nobel Prizes Paul Berg and share this view, as explained in the article, “we press ‘pause’ before altering humanity”, published in the journal The Wall Street Journal .
Both warn that changes in germ cells would be transmitted to subsequent generations and the consequences are unpredictable today.
In that sense, others are more blunt. “It (the study) emphasizes the need for immediate creation of genetically modified babies global ban,” says David King, director of Human Genetics Alert British organization.
This refers to the late King who are not physicians, such as changing the physical appearance or intelligence of future generations.
However, proponents of gene therapy insist that liberate mankind from inherited diseases.
In this view is the academic Julian Savulescu, the head of Journal of Medical Ethics editor.
Professor at the University of Oxford, UK, believes that create so-called designer babies should be considered a “moral obligation” since growing would become “ethically better children.” This was defended in an article published in British version of the journal Reader’s Digest.
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