Baku. 26 November. REPORT.AZ/ A Chinese researcher claims that he helped make the world’s first genetically edited babies — twin girls born this month whose DNA he said he altered with a powerful new tool capable of rewriting the very blueprint of life, Report informs citingTASS.
The researcher, He Jiankui of Shenzhen, said he altered embryos for seven couples during fertility treatments, with one pregnancy resulting thus far. He said his goal was not to cure or prevent an inherited disease, but to try to bestow a trait that few people naturally have — an ability to resist possible future infection with HIV, the AIDS virus.
"I feel a strong responsibility that it's not just to make a first, but also make it an example," he said.
Studies have shown that only one of the girls has changed both copies of the desired gene, while the second has changed only one copy, that is, she did not obtain immunity to HIV.