China has imprisoned the scientist who created the world's first engineered babies

Ha Giankoi, whose research has stirred the country and the world, was sentenced to three years in prison after being convicted of violating medical ethics rules, after his experiment led to the birth of three infants whose genes were conducted. Fewer prison sentences were sentenced to two of his colleagues. "Did not receive the necessary medical practice"

China has imprisoned the scientist who created the world's first engineered babies

A court in China sentenced three years in prison on Monday for the scientist who created the world's first genetically modified babies - the official Xinhua News Agency reported.

Ha Giankoi, who was convicted of providing medical services in violation of the law, was a professor at the University of Science and Technology in Shenzhen, said in November last year that he used gene editing technology, known as CRISPR-Cas9, to modify twin childhood genes to protect them from future HIV infection. .

However, the agitated counter-response in China and the world in relation to the ethics of his research and work has been rapid and extensive. He and his associates forged ethical tests and recruited HIV-positive men to edit the genes. As a result of his experiments, two women gave birth to three genetically modified babies.

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Caused an international storm. Ha Giankoi (Photo: AP)

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The court also sentenced lighter penalties to Zhang Renley and Kane Jinzhou, who worked at two unpublished medical institutions after being convicted of conspiring with Ha.

"The three defendants did not receive the permission to practice medicine, and when they sought fame and fortune, they deliberately violated the laws related to scientific research and medical treatment," the court ruled in a decision quoted by the official news agency. "They crossed the ethical red line in scientific research and medical ethics."

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