Genetically modified human embryos: Chinese scientists raise concerns after editing embryo DNA

Scientists worldwide have renewed calls for a halt to controversial human embryo research after a team of Chinese scientists published a paper on the genetic editing of human embryos.

Researchers at Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou, China hoped to modify a gene in chromosome 11 responsible for beta-thalassemia, a genetic mutation that reduces the production of hemoglobin and results in lack of oxygen in the body.

The embryos used in the research each had 69 chromosomes after being fertilized by two sperms. This extra set of chromosomes meant they could not result in a live birth.

The research involved injecting the embryos with the enzyme complex CRISPR/Cas9, which splices DNA at specific locations. Researchers can then modify the problematic gene causing beta-thalassemia by programming the enzyme complex to target that specific gene.

Of the 86 embryos injected with the enzyme, only 71 survived the initial 48-hour period needed for CRISPR to replace the DNA. And of the 54 embryos that were tested, researchers found that only 28 had ‘successfully spliced,’ with a fraction of those 28 containing the replacement genetic material.

The research team found a surprising number of mutations cropped up as a result of the CRISPR/Cas9 complex acting on parts of the genome other than the target area. Critics say the procedure could produce unknown effects on future generations as all modifications would be inheritable.

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