Chinese genomics scientist defends his gene-editing research in first public appearance
He Jiankui, the Chinese researcher who claimed this week to have helped produce the world’s first genetically altered babies, said Wednesday there was another “potential pregnancy” involved in his study as he defended a procedure that has shaken the scientific world.
Appearing in public for the first time since revealing he had successfully altered the DNA of twin girls while they were embryos to make them resistant to HIV infection, the Stanford-trained bioengineering professor said he felt “proud” of his work and its implications for public health in the face of nearly universal condemnation.