The Sichuan University trial, it is important to note, does not edit the germ-line; its effects will not be hereditary. A team of Chinese scientists will be the first in the world to apply the revolutionary gene-editing technique known as Crispr on human subjects. In 2014, researchers at Nanjing University reported that they had successfully engineered mutations in macaques – the first reported successful use of the technique in non-human primates. Crispr is a game-changer in bioscience; a groundbreaking technique which can find, cut out and replace specific parts of DNA using a specially programmed enzyme named Cas9. China has been at the forefront of Crispr research.

Source: The Guardian July 22, 2016 19:55 UTC