Chinese scientist He Jiankui has claimed he used CRISPR genome editing technology to alter the DNA of human embryos, resulting in the recent birth of twin girls.
Alta Charo, a University of Wisconsin law professor, attended He's first public presentation on this development at the Second International Summit on Human Genome Editing in Hong Kong. "Having listened to Dr. He, I can only conclude that this was misguided, premature, unnecessary and largely useless," she said.
Charo is an expert on regulation and ethics of scientific and medical innovation. As an organizer of the Hong Kong summit, she helped to draft the event's concluding statement.
Earlier, she told TIME Magazine: “First-in-human experiments always require a particularly high degree of caution, as the need to generalize from data solely accrued from laboratory and animal studies adds a new dimension to the uncertainties around not only risk and possible benefit, but around how to predict the range of risks and how to evaluate their possible impact."
Other news articles citing Charo on this matter include:
- "The CRISPR shocker: How genome-editing scientist He Jiankui rose from obscurity to stun the world," Stat News, December 17, 2018.
- "We have ways to stop rogue scientists. They don't always work," FiveThirtyEight, December 10, 2018.
- "Outrage intensifies over claims of gene-edited babies," National Public Radio, December 7, 2018.
- "Gene modified-babies violate scientific ethics and process," La Crosse Tribune, December 6, 2018.
- "Concerns Raised Over Chinese Doctor's Claim Of Gene Editing Success In Babies," Wisconsin Public Radio, December 4, 2018.
- "After last week's shock scientists scramble to prevent more gene-edited babies," Science, December 4, 2018.
- "The CRISPR baby scandal gets worse by the day," The Atlantic Monthly, December 3, 2018.
- First CRISPR babies: 6 questions that remain," Scientific American, December 2, 2018.
- "Scientists, ethicists slam decisions behind gene-edited twins," Ars Technica, November 30, 2018.
- "Science summit denounces gene-edited babies claim, but rejects moratorium," WAMU, November 29, 2018.
- "Extremely abominable: Chinese gene-editing scientist faces law," Aljezeera, November 29, 2018.
- "Scientists call for a halt to genetically editing embryos, rebuke Chinese researcher," The Washington Post, November 29, 2018.
- "Facing backlash, scientist defends gene-editing research on babies," National Public Radio, November 28, 2018.
- "CRISPR-baby scientist fails to satisfy critics," Nature, November 28, 2018.
- "Rogue Scientist says another CRISPR pregnancy is underway," Wired, November 28,2018.
- "Chinese scientist defends his gene-edited babies, claims a third is on the way," Fortune, November 28.
- "Claim of CRISPR’d baby girls stuns genome editing summit," STAT, November 26, 2018.
- "CRISPR bombshell: Chinese researcher claims to have created gene-edited twins," Science, November 26, 2018.
- "Researchers split on breakthrough human gene-edited babies," The Washington Times, November 26, 2018.
Submitted by Law School News on October 16, 2019
This article appears in the categories: Faculty, In the Media, UW Women in Law
Related employee profiles: R. Alta Charo