Senior Gene Therapy Scientists Take a Stand Against Human Embryo Gene Editing

摘要

In November, 2018, Dr. Jiankui He reported in the popular press that twin infant girls had been born after having undergone gene editing during the embryonic period with the intent of rendering them genetically resistant to human immunodeficiency virus infection. While the scientific validity of this report has not yet been independently confirmed, the worldwide reaction to the ethical dimensions of this announcement has been overwhelmingly negative. In April 2019, an independent group of biomedical scientists, including myself and other members of our senior editorial team, sent an open letter to the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, Alex Azar II, regarding the reported actions of Dr. He. The letter condemned these actions and furthermore called for "a binding global moratorium limiting clinical testing of germline gene editing in humans ." The letter went on to advocate for improved mechanisms to report violations of this moratorium. Specifically, the use of gene editing on embryos that are subsequently implanted with the intent of establishing a pregnancy would be strictly forbidden.