Scientific controversy unleashed by Chinese study that modifies DNA – Informador.com.mx

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There is a fear that this practice can lead to so-called designer babies. NTX / FILE

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• The research was conducted by scientists at the Sun Yat-sen University

The controversy is that for a long time been considered taboo make changes to the DNA from a human embryo

WASHINGTON, USA (23 / APR / 2015) .- The world of science woke revolutionized by transcending a group of Chinese researchers modified the DNA of human embryos in a study, a controversial practice their ethical implications.

The research, published in the US journal small Protein & amp; Cell, was conducted by scientists at the Sun Yat-sen University, in the Chinese city of Guangzhou.

In their study, the researchers used 86 human embryos to see if they could change the HBB gene, whose mutation is responsible for beta-thalassemia disease.

Thalassemia is an inherited disorder that affects the production of normal hemoglobin, a type of protein found in red blood cells that carries oxygen to body tissues.

This condition includes several different forms of anemia, the severity of which depends on the number of genes that are affected, and can be fatal.

The study, which were rumors in the scientific community since March, was immediately condemned by US researchers, who argue that the practice is “dangerous, premature and raises ethical issues,” local media reported.

To minimize the ethical controversy, Chinese researchers used embryos that were not viable and only 71 of them survived, and only 28 DNA modification work.

“Our results underscore the need for greater understanding of the CRISPR / Cas9 technique DNA modification and support the idea that the clinical applications of this mechanism may be premature at this time,” wrote the scientists in their study.

The controversy of the case is that for a long time been considered taboo to make changes in the DNA of a human embryo because such changes could become permanent features of the genetic map of the human being.

Another concern of scientists is that this practice can be dangerous to enter by mistake potentially new disease that is inherited from generation to generation.

There is also the fear that this practice can lead to so-called “designer babies”, whose genetic inheritance (genotype) would be selected using various reproductive technologies.