【原】基因实验新情况

Amber看世界 2021-05-21

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Authorities in China say experiments which led to the birth of the world's first gene-edited babies broke the country's laws, state-run Xinhua news reported Monday.

据新华社周一报道，中国有关部门表示，导致世界首例基因编辑婴儿诞生的实验违反了中国法律。

In November, Chinese scientist He Jiankui sparked international outrage when he announced that twin girls -- Lulu and Nana -- had been born with modified DNA to make them resistant to HIV.

去年11月，中国科学家贺建奎宣布一对双胞胎女孩——露露和娜娜——生来就带有修改过的DNA，可以抵抗艾滋病病毒，这一消息引发了国际社会的愤怒。

He later revealed a second woman was pregnant as a result of the research.

他后来透露，由于这项研究，另有一名妇女怀孕了。

At the time, China's National Health Commission "immediately requested the Guangdong Provincial Health Commission to seriously investigate and verify" the claims made by the scientist.

当时，中国国家卫生委员会“立即要求广东省卫生委员会认真调查核实”这名科学家的说法。

On Monday, investigators from Guangdong Province Health Commission said that "the case has been initially identified as an explicitly state-banned human embryo-editing activity for reproductive purposes conducted by He Jiankui," Xinhua reported.

据新华社报道，广东省卫计委的调查人员周一表示，“该案件最初被认定为国家明令禁止的贺建奎出于生殖目的进行的人类胚胎编辑活动。”

The commission added that the scientist has conducted the work "In pursuit of personal fame and fortune, with self-raised funds and deliberate evasion of supervision and private recruitment of related personnel."

该委员会补充说，这位科学家从事这项工作是“为了追求个人名利，自筹资金，故意逃避监督，并私下招聘相关人员。”

The authorities also believe He forged both ethical review documents and blood tests to circumvent a ban on assisted reproduction for HIV-positive patients, state media reported.

官方媒体报道称，当局还认为，他伪造了伦理审查文件和血液检测，以绕过禁止艾滋病毒阳性患者辅助生殖的禁令。

Questions emerged over the authenticity of He's ethical approval documents soon after the babies were revealed when one of the hospitals named in the paperwork denied any involvement in the procedures.

在这些婴儿被披露后不久，就出现了关于他的伦理批准文件真实性的质疑，文件中提到的一家医院否认参与了这些程序。

"We can ensure that the research wasn't conducted in our hospital nor were the babies born here," a Shenzhen Harmonicare Women's and Children's Hospital representative told us in November.

“我们可以确保这项研究不是在我们医院进行的，也不是在这里出生的婴儿”深圳一家妇幼医院的代表在11月告诉我们说。

The hospital confirmed that two of the doctors named in He's documents work at the hospital and suggested that an internal investigation was underway.

医院证实，文件中提到的两名医生在医院工作，并表示正在进行内部调查。

Editing the genes of embryos intended for pregnancy is banned in many countries, including the United States.

包括美国在内的许多国家都禁止编辑怀孕胚胎的基因。

In the UK, editing of embryos may be permitted for research purposes with strict regulatory approval.

在英国，在严格的监管批准下，胚胎的编辑可能被允许用于研究目的。

It is unknown whether the procedure is safe or, if used in pregnancy, whether it can have unintended consequences for the babies later in life or for future generations.

目前还不清楚这种方法是否安全，以及如果在怀孕期间使用，是否会对婴儿以后的生活或后代产生意想不到的后果。

China has invested heavily in gene-editing technology, with the government bankrolling research into a number of world "firsts," including the first use of the gene-editing tool CRISPR-Cas9 in humans in 2016 and the first reported use of gene editing technology to modify nonviable human embryos in 2015.

中国在基因编辑技术上投入巨大，政府为多项世界“第一”的研究提供了资金，包括2016年首次在人类身上使用CRISPR-Cas9基因编辑工具，以及2015年首次报道使用基因编辑技术修改无法存活的人类胚胎。

Following the initial results of the investigation reported by Xinhua, Yalda Jamshidi, reader in Genomic Medicine at St George's, University of London, said the Chinese investigators appeared to confirm that the birth of the gene-edited twins were the result of "a series of poor decisions."

新华社报道了调查的初步结果后，伦敦大学圣乔治分校基因组医学专业的雅尔达·贾姆什迪说，中国的调查人员似乎证实，基因编辑双胞胎的出生是“一系列错误决定”的结果。

"Unsurprisingly, the experiments have been met with heavy criticism, particularly as the procedures used have not been tested for safety in humans, and were not carried out for any real medical need," Jamshidi said in an emailed statement.

贾姆什迪在一份电子邮件声明中说:“毫无疑问，这些实验受到了严厉的批评，尤其是因为这些实验程序还没有经过人体安全测试，也没有任何真正的医疗进行需要。”

"The report will hopefully set an example with appropriate legal and punitive actions to reassure the public and scientific community that gene editing, like all potentially new medical interventions, will only be allowed where they address a true medical need, and with appropriate ethical and regulatory oversight," the statement added.

该报告希望通过适当的法律和惩罚行动树立一个榜样，让公众和科学界放心，基因编辑就像所有潜在的新医疗干预措施一样，只有在满足真正的医疗需求的情况下，以及在适当的伦理和监管监督下，才会被允许，”声明补充说。

But Dr Helen O'Neill, programme director of Reproductive Science and Women's Health at University College London had a more muted response to the latest outcome.

但伦敦大学学院生殖科学与妇女健康项目主任海伦·奥尼尔博士对这一最新结果的反应则较为低调。

"The reports do not shed much in the way of new light on the story. There is no further clarification on what measures will be taken to prevent this happening in future, nor what will be done as punishment for He Jiankui's lack of regard for policy, the patients and the scientific community."

“这些报道并没有给这个故事提供多少新的线索。目前还没有进一步说明将采取什么措施来防止这种情况在未来发生，也没有说明将采取什么措施来惩罚贺建奎对政策、患者和科学界的不尊重。”

Authorities in China said He and any other people or institutions involved will be "dealt with seriously according to the law, and if suspected of crimes, they will be handed over to the public security bureau," according to Xinhua.

据新华社报道，中国有关部门表示，他和其他涉案人员或机构将“依法严肃处理，如果涉嫌犯罪，将移交公安局”。

"For the born babies and pregnant volunteers, Guangdong Province will work with relevant parties to perform medical observation and follow-up visits under the guidance of relevant state departments," Xinhua said, adding that born babies and pregnant volunteers will be monitored and followed-up with under the guidance of relevant state departments.

“对于出生的婴儿和怀孕的志愿者，广东省将在国家有关部门的指导下，与相关方合作进行医学观察和随访”新华社报道称，还补充说，出生婴儿和怀孕志愿者将在国家有关部门的指导下进行监测和跟踪。