China Performs Shocking Experiment on Human Embryos

China Performs Shocking Experiment on Human Embryos

Last week, a group of researchers at the Sun Yat-sen University in China revealed they have created the first genetically modified human embryo. Strong reactions are expected.

Recently, the scientific community has expressed concerns regarding the use of genome-editing tools to modify human DNA, reports Nature:

There are grave concerns regarding the ethical and safety implications of this research. There is also fear of the negative impact it could have on important work involving the use of genome-editing techniques in somatic (non-reproductive) cells.”

 

A mere weeks after the above report was published, a team of Chinese scientists broke the news that they’ve successfully edited certain portions in the DNA of a human embryo. We should point out that they only used non-viable tripronuclear embryos from IVF clinics for the experiment.

A tripronuclear human embryo is the result of an egg being fertilized by two sperm cells and cannot develop into a viable fetus.

The reason behind using tripronuclear embryos is simple: to avoid the ethical backlash that would follow any genetic endeavor that is centered on human experiments.

Despite the expected resentment from the general public, the Chinese scientists’ motivation is commendable. Their experiment was aimed at altering a mutant portion of DNA that caused beta thalassemia, a genetic blood disease that affects 1 in every 100,000 people.

The procedure involved using a targeted “molecular scissors” that would simply cut the mutated DNA segment and replace it with a healthy one. This technique has the potential to prevent the development of most genetic disorders in human fetuses.

However, the scientists encountered a serious drawback as the “editing” process failed multiple times. This incident enforces the idea that the road towards feasible human genetic modifications will be rough and unpredictable.

Just like the rest of us, members of the scientific community expressed contrasting opinions regarding this controversial experiment. On one side, there are those who acknowledge the immense potential this procedure might have in the near future. On the other, we have those who place ethics above else and warn us against playing God.

Both sides recommend that we proceed with the utmost prudence.

Please feel free to express your views on this delicate subject.

Source: http://locklip.com/