Lisbon – “Although there is no sufficient and reliable scientific proof to say that the announcement made by the researcher [He Jiankui, from the University of Shanzen] corresponds to the effective implementation of what he says he has carried out, the seriousness of the issue led the international scientific community, through respected institutions, to condemn the “scientific results” and the council joins that condemnation,” the CNECV said in a statement.
According to the CNECV, the situation reported is “technically imprudent, with serious scientific shortcomings, it presents a morally irresponsible and ethically unacceptable situation.”
The CNECV said the situation reported by the researcher could imply real risks for the two children born following the manipulation of human cells.
Manipulating human cells is banned in countries that subscribed in 2010 to the Convention on Human Rights and Biomedicine of the Council of Europe. Portugal also signed that convention.
The CNECV is composed of over 20 figures, including members of the Portuguese Medical Association, the Association of Biologists and the Association of Pharmacists.
The Chinese government has ordered investigations into the experiment carried out by He Jiankui, who claims to have edited the genes of twin girls before their birth to disable a gene and block a pathway used by the HIV virus to enter cells, sparking global outcry.
