Do We Really Have the First CRISPR Babies?

The news broke over the weekend that a Chinese scientist, He Jiankui, may have altered the genes of twin girls to give them resistance to AIDS.

May have, because we as yet have nothing but He's statement as evidence that this actually happened. The hospital at which he works, Shenzhen Harmonicare, denied any involvement or that they gave approval. Other supposed backers for the trial also knew nothing about it.

Now, given using CRISPR on humans isn't approved anywhere, hiding it and lying on submitted forms makes sense. The Chinese government has ordered an ethical probe.

The status of the girls, if they exist, is unknown.

Now, let's unpack this.

CRISPR has huge promise for editing bad genes out of the genome. However, the technology is years, if not decades, away from being ready for human trials. Heck, I'm not sure I'd try it on a dog or a cat yet.

We need longitudinal studies in fast-breeding creatures (mice would be ideal) to find out what the effects are on the second and third generation. CRISPR editing affects the germ line, meaning you're introducing permanent modifications. Oh, and probably some testing on Rhesus monkeys too, to see how the tech works in primates.

Jumping straight to any kind of human trial? That's some Orphan Black shit right there.

Personally, I hope the girls don't exist. If they do, then the editing may have laid them open to diseases far more common than HIV.

The door is going to open to human genetic manipulation sooner or later, but we need to be careful. Yes, for once, I'm going to be the conservative voice here. Think. Test. We don't know how all the connections work. We still don't understand human epigenetics.

It's the 200th anniversary of Frankenstein. Think, people.