The He Jiankui affair
The He Jiankui affair refers to a significant controversy in the scientific and medical communities stemming from the unauthorized genetic modification of human embryos by Chinese researcher He Jiankui in the late 2010s. Jiankui claimed to have created the world’s first genome-edited babies, aiming to make them resistant to HIV by modifying the CCR5 gene. His announcement in November 2018 was met with widespread condemnation, as the global medical community deemed his actions unethical and illegal, given that human genome editing was prohibited in many regions due to potential risks and ethical concerns.
Following an investigation, He Jiankui was arrested and sentenced to three years in prison for conducting illegal medical practices. His actions drew criticism not only for their scientific implications but also for the way they jeopardized the reputation of the broader Chinese research community. In response to the incident, China implemented stricter regulations on genetic experimentation, ensuring that future research would adhere to ethical standards and regulatory oversight. The affair has sparked ongoing debates about the moral boundaries of genetic editing and the responsibilities of scientists in conducting such pioneering work.
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The He Jiankui affair
The He Jiankui affair is a controversy within the medical and scientific communities involving illegal medical experimentation undertaken by medical researcher He Jiankui in the late 2010s. His work involved genetic modification to human embryos, making them resistant or immune to HIV/AIDs. The worldwide medical community condemned Jiankui’s research, labelling him a “rogue scientist” and criticizing his evasions of government bans. Additionally, scientists criticized Jiankui for carrying out his research with little regulatory supervision and no peer-review process, calling his claims of successful human genetic modification into question.
Following an investigation by the Chinese government, Jiankui was arrested and convicted of conducting illegal medical practices. He was sentenced to three years in prison and forced to pay a substantial fine. In the following years, China increased its regulations surrounding medical experimentation, working to avoid any similar scenarios in the future. Jiankui was released from prison in 2022.
Background
CRISPR-Cas9, commonly known as CRISPR, is a specialized technology used by geneticists and medical researchers. The technology allows professional scientists to edit parts of a genome. Using CRISPR, researchers may add, alter, or remove sections of the DNA sequence of a living organism. Controversially, this technology can be used to modify the human genome.
The CRISPR gene-modification process was first published in 2012 by scientists Jennifer Doudna, Emmanuelle Charpentier, and their team. Unlike other methods for modifying a genome, CRISPR could make permanent and irreversible changes to the DNA. Additionally, the process proved to be efficient and relatively inexpensive for trained scientists to carry out. For this reason, the discovery of the CRISPR process is considered one of the most important scientific discoveries of the modern era.
The first company to monetize the CRISPR process is a matter of controversy. Initially, many scientific firms questioned whether the CRISPR process could be effectively scaled and monetized. This resulted in several competing claims to the CRISPR patent. In 2014, courts awarded the patent rights to CRISPR to the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard. An additional related process had been developed at the University of California, which was later issued a separate patent.
CRISPR may eventually allow scientists to treat inherited genetic diseases, such as some forms of cancer, in living organisms. It may also be used to enhance the health of living individuals, or to make precise genetic modifications to commercial crops. However, the use of CRISPR in human modification is extremely controversial. Some activist groups have called for a ban on such research. Others have argued that advancements in human genetic modification are essential to the future of humanity.
Overview
The He Jiankui affair is a modern scientific and ethical controversy centered on the use of genome editing software. He Jiankui was a prominent scientist working at the Southern University of Science and Technology in Shenzhen, China. He was publicly working on developing treatments to help patients with HIV-related fertility difficulties. On November 26, 2018, Jiankui announced that he had created the world’s first genome-edited human babies.
Jiankui had offered treatments to families undergoing fertility treatment at his laboratory. Notably, he also offered CRISPR genome-therapy services. Jiankui removed the CCR5 gene from the embryos, hoping that the removal of the gene would give the babies increased resistance to HIV. His program was announced to the public by the MIT Technology Review.
The revelation of Jiankui’s experimentation was met with widespread criticism from the medical and scientific communities. At the time, human genome editing was illegal throughout much of the world. It was considered unethical and dangerous by scientists, who worried that editing the genome of human infants might result in unintended side effects. Chinese doctors and researchers criticized Jiankui, arguing that by secretly conducting unethical experimentation he had harmed the reputation of the Chinese scientific community.
Following the publication of his research, Jiankui announced that a pair of genetically modified twin girls had been successfully born. He stated that the girls were healthy and showed no signs of unintended side effects from gene editing. However, Jiankui’s work was not peer-reviewed or verified by any regulatory agency. This caused some Western medical journals to doubt the validity of Jiankui’s claims.
The Chinese government reacted swiftly to the public revelation of Jiankui’s research. The scientist was ordered to suspend his practice shortly after the announcement, giving government agencies time to investigate the various claims made by the MIT Technology Review. Shortly afterward, Jiankui was found guilty of conducting illegal medical practices. He was sentenced to three years in prison and forced to pay a 3-million Chinese yuan fine. Several of Jiankui’s coworkers were also charged with crimes.
Jiankui argued that his work was beneficial to the future of humanity. He stated that such practices could help reduce the HIV/AIDs prevalence in countries throughout Africa, where people with HIV/AIDS face significant social stigma and higher mortality rates. He also noted that the modification might be passed down to the children of the genetically modified infants, helping make more people resistant or immune to HIV/AIDS. However, critics of Jiankui argued that the scientist acted illegally, defying government bans and acting without significant regulatory oversight. The scientist was also accused of conducting his research in the pursuit of personal fame, rather than the betterment of humanity.
Following Jiankui’s conviction, China passed new regulations that increased restrictions on genetic experimentation. Scientists carrying out such research must dutifully inform patients of all alternatives to the drug or treatment they are investigating and must provide participants with the means to contact an ethics-review committee. These regulations not only applied to hospitals and healthcare facilities but also to institutions of higher learning and scientific research institutes. Notably, they do not apply to private entities, allowing privately funded institutions greater freedom when carrying out controversial research.
Bibliography
Mallapaty, Smriti. “Disgraced CRISPR-Baby Scientist’s Publicity Stunt Frustrates Researchers.” Nature, 2023, www.nature.com/articles/d41586-023-00382-w. Accessed 25 Apr. 2023.
Normile, Dennis. “Chinese Scientist Who Produced Genetically Altered Babies Sentenced to 3 Years in Jail.” Science, 30 Dec. 2019, www.science.org/content/article/chinese-scientist-who-produced-genetically-altered-babies-sentenced-3-years-jail. Accessed 25 Apr. 2023.
Normile, Dennis. “In Wake of Gene-Edited Baby Scandal, China Sets New Ethics Rules for Human Studies.” Science, 7 Mar. 2023, www.science.org/content/article/wake-gene-edited-baby-scandal-china-sets-new-ethics-rules-human-studies. Accessed 25 Apr. 2023.
Regaldo, Antonio. “The Creator of the CRISPR Babies Has Been Released from a Chinese Prison.” MIT Technology Review, 2022, https://www.technologyreview.com/2022/04/04/1048829/he-jiankui-prison-free-crispr-babies/. Accessed 25 Apr. 2023.
“What Is CRISPR-Cas9?” YourGenome.org, 2023, www.yourgenome.org/facts/what-is-crispr-cas9/. Accessed 25 Apr. 2023.