How One Rogue Scientist Could Sink Global Gene Therapy Progress

Amid a global uproar denouncing a Chinese scientist’s work to deliver gene-edited twin babies, worries emerge that other valuable future research in the area could be put on hold, effectively crippling industry experts and researchers.

China
Could startling revelations from one Chinese researcher hamper overall gene therapy research? • Source: Shutterstock

The likelihood of one bad apple crippling the global progress of overall gene editing technology has never been higher.

Amid controversial claims that Chinese researcher He Jiankui created the world's first gene-edited babies, there has been overwhelming condemnation and criticism of the so far unverified work, which knocked out the HIV infection-related CCR5 gene at the fertilized embryo stage before womb implantation

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