AP Exclusive: First gene-edited babies claimed in China

[DonViejo]

Source: Associated Press


By MARILYNN MARCHIONE
today

HONG KONG (AP) — 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.

If true, it would be a profound leap of science and ethics.

A U.S. scientist said he took part in the work in China, but this kind of gene editing is banned in the United States because the DNA changes can pass to future generations and it risks harming other genes.

Many mainstream scientists think it’s too unsafe to try, and some denounced the Chinese report as human experimentation.


Read more: https://www.apnews.com/4997bb7aa36c45449b488e19ac83e86d

[TreasonousBastard]

1. Make 'em sterile. Solves the generational problem...

but then we're in really strange territory. Also stops the abortion debate, though.

Make no mistake, this research will carry on somewhere, somehow, and we're just going to have to figure out a way to deal with it.

Two-edged sword, this science stuff.

[Renew Deal]

6. Making them sterile would likely eventually create a subclass of people and it will get violent.

Last edited Mon Nov 26, 2018, 11:49 AM - Edit history (1)

Keeping them fertile creates unimaginable genetic problems. It’s just better to not go down this road. We'll end up with a world resembling Deadpool.

[TreasonousBastard]

10. OK, I should have added the sarcasm thingy, and...

if we do go down this road, I have little doubt that someone will want to engineer worker drones, super soldiers, and other specific humanoids. And what we will do to our animals will be even more cringe worthy.

Science fiction has been talking about this sort of stuff for years. It never ends well.

[Blue_Tires]

2. Sadly, only future generations will be able to determine with any certainty

whether this doctor was a visionary, an idiot, or a genocidal monster...

But hey, maybe we'll get some real-life X-Men out of this!

[exboyfil]

3. Recommend seeing the movie Gattica

Brave New World

In the year 6565
You won't need no husband, won't need no wife
You'll pick your son, pick your daughter too
From the bottom of a long glass tube

[Archae]

4. Yeah right.

"All those who believe that, stand on their heads!" -Col Blake, MASH

[Renew Deal]

5. The US should use the technology to secretly raise a clone army.

That can be used around 20 years later if needed. Or does it make more sense to use Droids?

[BlueInRedHell]

12. That was written in sarcasm, right? I can't imagine many things more terrifying than

a cloned 'human' army that would have zero compunction about being set on the American people.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

15. Trump would love to have Jar Jar Binks as Sec of Defense.

Me am rugor to serven yous agenda mistah president

[Dopers_Greed]

7. The entire next generation of China will be "gene-edited"

Due to all the toxins they're pouring into the air and water

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

8. This reminds me of the claims that human clones

have been produced/created, whatever word should be used. Again, zero proof it's happened.

[Mosby]

9. They already used crispr on beagles

To make them super muscular.

The technology works, and it's going to change everything.

[benld74]

11. Interesting females were created with said procedure

Considering except for India, China trails the world in males:females ratio

[jmowreader]

13. I'm going to say what everyone here is thinking

"Can we edit out any proclivities toward Republicanism?"

[Revanchist]

14. Interesting medical ethics problem

To me, it's a more advanced form of embryonic selection, something that has been done since 2009 when a couple in Britain had multiple embryos fertilized and selected the one missing a particularly aggressive breast cancer gene that was prevalent in the mothers side of the family https://www.theguardian.com/science/2009/jan/10/pgd-baby-debate-breast-cancer . Who knows, with climate change it might become necessary to alter the human species to better adapt to the changing planet.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

16. This could change the Olympics: super gymnasts, divers, weight-lifters, ping-pong players, etc.

And ethics be damned. Look at all these medals!