He Jiankui was jailed for his gene-editing experiment in 2018. (Reuters File Photo)
Chinese scientist He Jiankui, known for his controversial gene-editing experiments on human embryos, has presented a new proposal aimed at modifying human embryos to address the challenges posed by the ageing population. Mr He, who was previously sentenced to three years in prison after revealing that he had created the first gene-edited children, resurfaced last year and announced his plans to open a research lab in Beijing. While his recent updates on Twitter focused on gene therapy for rare diseases, he has once again courted controversy by sharing a research proposal that experts criticise as reminiscent of his previous unethical and potentially dangerous work, as per a report in CNN.
In the proposal, the scientist suggests conducting gene-editing experiments on mouse embryos and human fertilised egg cells (zygotes) to investigate whether a specific mutation can protect against Alzheimer's disease. He acknowledges the challenges presented by ageing population, particularly in China, where the proportion of elderly individuals is increasing. "The aging population is of grave importance as both a socioeconomic issue and a strain on the medical system... Currently, there is no effective drug for Alzheimer's disease," Mr He said in a one-page document posted on his Twitter handle.
Notably, this experiment would involve abnormal fertilised egg cells that are typically considered unsuitable for implantation in women. He emphasises that no human embryos would be implanted for pregnancy, and the experiment would require government permits and ethical approval, the CNN report said.
However, the scientific community remains skeptical of Mr He's proposal, questioning its scientific validity and ethical implications. China has implemented stricter regulations and ethical standards for human gene editing following the controversy surrounding his previous research. Mr He has been banned from engaging in assisted reproductive technology services and face limitations on his work involving human genetic resources. Despite these restrictions, the release of this new proposal involving gene editing of embryos raises concerns and confusion among scientists and medical ethics experts.
"The whole thing is, to put it bluntly, insane," Peter Droge, an associate professor at the Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, told CNN. Apart from ethical questions, such a move is "highly questionable", he added.
"He basically wants to genetically modify the human species so they don't get Alzheimer's. I'm really surprised that he's coming forward with this again," said Professor Droge.
Other experts view Mr He's proposal as an attempt to explore the viability of genetic editing in future embryos, while others call it "a publicity stunt".
Mr He responded to questions by stating that he is collecting feedback from scientists and bioethicists and does not have a timeline for the study. He clarified that no experiments would be conducted until he obtains government permits and approval from an international ethics committee comprising bioethicists from the USA and Europe. He emphasised that this would be a preclinical study, and no embryos would be used for pregnancy. He committed to openness and transparency, stating that all experiment results and progress would be shared on Twitter.
The Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology and the National Health Commission have so far not provided any comments on the matter.
In 2018, Mr He had sunned the world by claiming to have created the world's first genetically-edited babies. The professor, who was educated at Stanford in the US, said the DNA of the two girls named Lulu and Nana was modified using CRISPR, a technique which allows scientists to remove and replace a strand with pinpoint precision.
But Mr He's actions were considered "foolish" and "dangerous" by experts and a Chinese court found him guilty for this experiment, sentencing him to three years in jail and imposing a fine of 1 million Yuan.