The world’s science community was thrown a curveball this week when a Chinese scientist He Jiankui announced through a YouTube video that he had successfully modified the DNA of two embryos before birth. The announcement was made just before a high-profile scientific meeting in Hong Kong.
This news was not taken in good light as critics have pointed out many flaws and potential complications of his actions of utilizing such technology at its infancy stages. Some of the biggest issues lie in whether the procedure was done properly, and whether it might have long-term repercussions on the lives of the babies.
It has sparked the call for global governance and code of conduct to regulate the complex ethical issue. With the actual abilities to tamper with human genes, deeper questions are being asked about how this technology can be used in the future.
Read the full article on CNN: The scientist, the twins and the experiment that geneticists say went too far
Analysis:
It took the community by surprise that this scientist had acted on his own accord, and his actions are heavily frowned upon when the risks of the technology had not been sufficiently addressed. There is a common consensus that there are certain boundaries of applying such technologies that could change the human genome, and affect generations after. He breached his own stated ethical views and went against the global consensus that there should be transparency in undertaking such works related to gene editing.
World Health Organisation (WHO) has responded to this incident and stated its recourse by forming a working group to address the complex issues of gene editing and to develop global standards for the governance of this technology.
Questions for further personal evaluation:
- What is your take on the Chinese scientist’s actions? Was it ethical?
- How important is it to have a globally agreed code of conduct for such complex ethical issues?
Useful vocabulary:
- ‘multitude’: a large number of people or things
- ‘breaches’: an act of breaking or failing to observe a law, agreement, or code of conduct
- ‘contravention’: an action which offends against a law, treaty, or other ruling
Picture credits:https://pixabay.com/en/dna-biology-medicine-gene-163466/