Scientists in China have admitted to tweaking the genes of human embryos as part of controversial experiments many worry will lead to the creation of ‘designer babies’ in the future.
According to research published today in the journal Protein & Cell, a team at Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzho made changes to the gene that is responsible for a potentially deadly blood disorder called β-thalassaemia. According to the paper the experiment was carried out on non-viable embryos, which cannot develop into babies.
While leading researchers have appealed for the technique used, germ line modification, to be halted until a full investigation into its safety can be conducted, many others hope it could be the key to ridding families of genetic disorders and inherited diseases.
Germ line editing effectively silences genes, switching them off at DNA level.
