Scientists need to impose a worldwide moratorium on genetic editing in human cells.

“A little over three months ago, on 26 November 2018, the world with a mixture of astonishment and fear learned of the birth of the first in the history of two genetically modified children. Have twin sisters Lulu and Nana was modified DNA when they were embryos, so as to make them resistant to the AIDS virus. The scientific community has condemned this experiment because of the many uncertainties regarding the health of children and their future offspring . In order to prevent the repetition of such events, 18 world-renowned scientists (including the French Emmanuelle Charpentier, a co-author of genetic technologies editor CRISPR necessary to modify the DNA) on Wednesday published a collective letter in the renowned scientific journal Nature with the requirement to impose a worldwide moratorium on genetic editing in human cells (sperm, oocytes) and embryos with the purpose of the birth of genetically modified children,” according to Le Figaro (translation inopressa.ru).

“Behind this experiment Chinese scholar he Cisangkuy broke all recommendations for modification of the human genome, “He not only failed to prove that it could control the consequences of such modifications for the health of these children, or that they will not be detrimental in the future. He didn’t even have any permissions to these actions, stresses Catherine Burgen, geneticist and member of the ethics Committee of the National Institute of health and medical research of France (INSERM). In this case the modification made to them was not the life he had originally planned, then there is a lot of uncertainty. Not to mention the fact that the feasibility of such procedures are generally not proven”.

“Someone is interfering in the process of creating people and even the very idea of the human race, emphasizes Catherine Burgen. – This raises questions that concern all of us. Discussion should be open and wide and not only within the scientific community.”