![]() ![]() That purpose now appears to have been preempted by the actions of He, an elite biologist recruited back to China from the US as part of its “ Thousand Talents Plan.” The purpose of the international meeting is to help determine whether humans should begin to genetically modify themselves, and if so, how. The claim that China has already made genetically altered humans comes just as the world’s leading experts are jetting into Hong Kong for the Second International Summit on Human Genome Editing. They predicted their innovation “will surpass” the invention of in vitro fertilization, whose developer was awarded a Nobel Prize in 2010. “In this ever more competitive global pursuit of applications for gene editing, we hope to be a stand-out,” He and his team wrote in an ethics statement they submitted last year. The step toward genetically tailored humans was undertaken in secrecy and with the clear ambition of a stunning medical first. Where some see a new form of medicine that eliminates genetic disease, others see a slippery slope to enhancements, designer babies, and a new form of eugenics. The birth of the first genetically tailored humans would be a stunning medical achievement, for both He and China. It’s not known if those pregnancies were terminated, carried to term, or are ongoing. However, data submitted as part of the trial listing shows that genetic tests have been carried out on fetuses as late as 24 weeks, or six months. ![]()
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