HONG KONG — A group of leading scientists has declared that it’s still too soon to try making permanent changes to DNA that can be inherited by future generations, as a Chinese researcher claims to have done. The scientists gathered in Hong Kong this week for an international conference on gene editing, the ability to rewrite the code of life to try to correct or prevent diseases. The conference was rocked by the Chinese researcher’s claim to have helped make the world’s first gene-edited babies, twin girls he said were born earlier this month. Conference leaders called for an independent investigation of the claim by He Jiankui of Shenzhen, who spoke to the group Wednesday as international criticism of his claim mounted. ADVERTISEMENTOther sponsors of the three-day conference are the Academy of Sciences of Hong Kong, the Royal Society of the United Kingdom and the U.S. National Academy of Sciences and U.S. National Academy Sciences.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer November 29, 2018 09:45 UTC