Genome scientist was ready to accept criticism

[jaideejung007]

A US researcher has said he was told in October by a Chinese scientist who says he helped make the world's first gene-edited babies that he would accept criticism.

Bioethicist William Hurlbut of Stanford University referred to the remark by He Jiankui in an interview with NHK on Wednesday.

The associate professor at the Southern University of Science and Technology in Shenzhen triggered uproar in November when he announced that he'd produced genome-edited twin girls.

Chinese authorities later suspended He's research activities, citing violations of laws and regulations.

Hurlbut met He 4 times before he made his research public.

Hurlbut says He told him in January last year that he planned to gene-edit fertilized animal eggs.

This October, He told Hurlbut he would release an important thesis on his research by the year-end.

He was quoted as saying then that he would accept criticism because he thought it very important to move his research into the clinical arena.

The remark is taken to indicate that He would apply his method to humans, though Hurlbut says He did not specifically say he would genome-edit human fertilized eggs.

Hurlbut says He has had very good scientific training, but no exposure to the kinds of questions that his research provokes.

 

Source: nhk