Debate over gene-edited babies

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>Debate over gene experiment
'基因编辑婴儿'引发争议
A Chinese scientist's attempt to produce the world's first gene-edited babies immune to HIV has sparked controversy among the public and academics. In an online video posted on Monday, He Jiankui, a biological researcher, announced twin baby girls were born healthy a few weeks previously and were conceived through in vitro fertilization and genetically edited for immunity to HIV infection. He said he and his team used the CRISPR-Cas9 genetic editing program to remove the gene from the zygote which scientists believe allows the HIV virus to infect the body. He's announcement sparked heated discussion among regulators and academics concerning medical ethics and effectiveness. On Monday, more than 120 scholars from prestigious universities and institutes from China and abroad, such as Tsinghua University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, strongly condemned the research in a signed statement, saying the "research" lacks effective ethics inspection and amounts to human experimentation, which is "crazy". The Shenzhen Health and Family Planning Commission said on Monday evening it had not received any ethical assessment application for the study, which is a prerequisite for such experiments. The commission started an ethics investigation into the issue and will release the result to the public, it said.
一位中国科学家试图制造出世界首例免疫艾滋病的"基因编辑婴儿"在公众中和学术界引发争议。在26日发布的一段网络视频中，生物研究员贺建奎宣布，几周前，一对通过体外受精孕育、进行了免疫艾滋病感染的基因编辑的双胞胎女婴健康出生。贺建奎称，他和他的团队利用CRISPR-Cas9基因编辑程序从受精卵中去除了一段科学家认为会使艾滋病毒感染人体的基因。贺建奎公布的信息引发监管机构和学者对其医学伦理和有效性的热议。当日，来自清华大学、麻省理工学院等国内外顶尖学府和学术机构的逾120名学者在一份共同签署的声明中对该研究进行强烈谴责，他们表示这项"研究"未进行有效的伦理审查，相当于在做人体实验，实属"疯狂"。深圳市卫计委26日晚称，未收到任何该研究的伦理审查申请书，而该申请书是进行这类实验的一个先决条件。深圳市卫计委称，已对此事展开伦理调查，并将向公众公布调查结果。(中国日报)

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2. 基因编辑婴儿 gene-edited baby  请看例句： Scientists and bioethics experts have reacted with shock and anger to a Chinese researcher's claim that he helped make the world's first genetically edited babies. 一名中国研究者声称自己帮助造出世界上首批基因编辑婴儿后，科学家和生物伦理专家纷纷表示震惊和愤怒。  26日，来自中国深圳的科学家贺建奎在一段网络视频(online video)中宣布，一对名为露露和娜娜的基因编辑婴儿于11月在中国健康诞生，她们的母亲是通过试管内授精(in vitro fertilization, IVF)技术怀孕生产的。这对双胞胎的一个基因经过修改，使她们出生后即能天然抵抗艾滋病。这是世界首批免疫艾滋病的基因编辑婴儿(the world's first gene-edited babies immune to AIDS)。  据报道，贺建奎及其团队利用基因编辑工具(gene-editing tool)修改了受精卵的CCR5基因。CCR5基因编码的蛋白质是HIV病毒入侵人体所需的主要辅助受体之一。理论上，如果这个基因出现变异或缺失，就有可能使HIV病毒无法入侵人体细胞(invade human cells)，即能天然免疫HIV病毒。  消息发布后引发了巨大的争议(spark a huge controversy)。深圳卫计委表示，并未收到有关该研究的伦理审查报备(ethical assessment application for the study)，而这是开展此类实验的先决条件(prerequisite)。深圳卫计委已启动对该事件涉及伦理问题的调查，有关调查结果将及时向公众进行公布。贺建奎所在的南方科技大学表示，学校对这一项目并不知情(it was not aware of the research)。南科大生物系学术委员会认为这一研究严重违背学术伦理和学术规范(seriously violate academic ethics and standards)，将立即针对此事成立独立调查组。  超过120名来自国内外著名大学及机构的学者发布联合声明，强烈谴责这一研究(strongly condemn the research)。声明称，该研究缺乏有效的伦理监管(lack effective ethics oversight)，相当于拿人类做实验(amount to human experiments)。中国科学院学部科学道德建设委员会就此事发表声明，坚决反对任何个人、任何单位在理论不确定、技术不完善的情况下开展人类胚胎基因编辑的临床应用(be firmly against any clinical application of gene editing of human embryos by anyone or any organization in circumstances relying on immature theories and technologies)。科技部副部长徐南平29日在接受央视采访时表示，科技部坚决反对基因编辑婴儿事件，已经要求相关单位暂停相关人员的科技活动(order relevant authorities to suspend all scientific activity of people involved with the case)，下一步科技部将在前面客观调查事件的基础上，会同有关部门依法依规做出查处(mete out punishment)。  [相关词汇] 试管婴儿 test-tube baby 基因操纵 genetic manipulation 基因突变 gene mutation  评估收益与风险 assess gains and risks 普遍共识 universal consensus 精子洗涤 sperm washing