TOKYO — In 2018, Chinese researcher He Jiankui announced the birth of the world’s first genome-edited babies, and was subsequently imprisoned in China. In his first solo interview with Japanese media, he revealed to the Mainichi Shimbun that he has resumed research on human embryo genome editing for the treatment of genetic diseases while adhering to international rules, and claimed “society will eventually accept it.”
His renewed enthusiasm for research that breaks the bioethical taboo against artificially rewriting genes could have wide-ranging repercussions.
According to Chinese media reports, beginning in 2016, he modified the genes of embryos during the in vitro fertilization process for eight couples in which only the husbands were infected with HIV to stop the virus from being passed on. This resulted in the birth of three genome-edited babies, including twin girls.
He presented this achievement at a 2018 international conference in Hong Kong, then disappeared. Genome editing for clinical applications in humans is prohibited in China, where authorities deemed his series of studies illegal. He was sentenced to three years in prison and fined 3 million yuan (about 47 million yen or $430,000 at the time) by a Chinese court. He was released in 2022.
Jiankui told the Mainichi he aims to treat rare genetic diseases such as Duchenne muscular dystrophy and familial Alzheimer’s disease using genome editing in human embryos. After his release, he reportedly established three laboratories in China, including in Beijing and Wuhan, and resumed his research. “We will use discarded human embryos and comply with both domestic and international rules,” he explained, denying any current intent to produce more genome-edited babies.
Regarding the three genome-edited children, he said, “They are perfectly healthy and have no problems with their growth,” reporting that the twin girls, now aged at least 5, are both attending kindergarten, and another born in 2019 was a girl.
Jiankui emphasized his achievements, saying, “The results of analyzing their (the children’s) entire gene sequences show that there were no modifications to the genes other than for the medical objective, providing evidence that genome editing was safe. I’m proud to have helped families who wanted healthy children.”
Reflecting on the criticism his research received from around the world at the time, he commented, “I regret that it was too hasty,” but refused to clearly explain why he conducted research in violation of international rules.
(Japanese original by Yin Tanaka, Lifestyle, Science & Environment News Department)
What is genome editing?
Genome editing is a technique that involves cutting out specific genes to disable their function, or inserting genes to introduce new functions. Compared to conventional genetic engineering techniques, which cannot modify only the targeted genes, genome editing can achieve more precise modifications. U.S. and French researchers who discovered the method were awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2020. Various countries around the world restrict the use of edited human embryos, prohibiting their reimplantation into the uterus or the creation of babies through genome modification.
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