Rice U Professor, Chinese Researcher Create Gene-Edited Babies

HOUSTON — Rice University is investigating one of it's professors who claims he took part in research in China to genetically alter human DNA, officials said Monday.

He Jiankui, an associate professor at Shenzhen’s Southern University of Science and Technology of China, claims he created genetically edited babies with the help of Rice University’s Michael Deem, a professor of physics and bio engineering.

Deem, who was He’s adviser at Rice University, apparently worked on the research with He while visiting China, and also has a small stake in He’s two companies.

Research that alters or edits DNA is banned in the United States, because it is believed that any genetic alterations could harm future generations.

The story, which was first reported by the Associated Press, revealed that He altered embryos for seven couples during fertility treatments, with one of the couples becoming pregnant and ultimately delivering twin girls.

According to the AP report, He said the men involved in the fertility treatments and DNA research were all HIV positive, and that the goal of his research was to rewrite the DNA to resist HIV and AIDS.

Officials said if the report is true, it would be a giant leap in genetic research, science and ethics, the AP reported.

The claims, however, have met with mixed reviews in the scientific community, with many calling the research experimental and unsafe.

“unconscionable ... an experiment on human beings that is not morally or ethically defensible,” said Dr. Kiran Musunuru, a University of Pennsylvania gene editing expert and editor of a genetics journal told the AP.

However, the AP reported that Harvard University’s George Church defended He’s gene editing for HIV, which he called “a major and growing public health threat.”

Rice University officials released a statement on Monday about the AP story that details Deem’s involvement.
The statement read in part: “This research raises troubling scientific, legal and ethical questions. Rice offers the following statement: 1. Rice had no knowledge of this work. 2. To Rice’s knowledge, none of the clinical work was performed in the United States. 3. Regardless of where it was conducted, this work as described in press reports, violates scientific conduct guidelines and is inconsistent with ethical norms of the scientific community and Rice University. 4.We have begun a full investigation of Dr. Deem’s involvement in this research.”

China’s National Health Commission and the Southern University of Science and Technology are also investigating these claims.

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