The last century has brought a host of incredible medical advancements.
With the development of new technology and equipment, scientists and medical researchers have found cutting-edge ways to keep people healthier and living longer.
But some medical “advancements” have no place in the world, as is the case with an unethical new development that can be nothing but dangerous.
Scientist He Jiankui has led a team of researchers at Shenzhen’s Southern University of Science and Technology in China for several years.
He now claims that he has successfully altered the embryos of couples during fertility treatments in an attempt to genetically modify the human race.
The alleged reason for the research and development of this dangerous scenario is to rid humanity of life-threatening diseases like HIV.
But by playing God, an unthinkable new door has opened that will be hard to close and may have tragic consequences.
He Jiankui announced the stunning development to the Associated Press this week, even stating that one couple involved in a clinical trial has given birth to twin girls.
The birth and the health of the girls, however, has not been verified. He has refused to identify the family or further comment on the first “successful” births to come from his research.
The science behind this development is like something from a science fiction movie.
The CRISPR system was originally discovered to be an “acquired immune response mechanism” used by bacteria, but is now being adapted for use as a tool in the genetic engineering of other species and organisms.
The U.S. only allows the CRISPR tool to be used for lab research and has so far banned its use on humans in any capacity.
The Chinese research team first experimented with the tool in lab tests in 2015, and if He Jiankui’s claims are true, it will be the first live birth resulting from the research.
He Jiankui and other scientists on the team, including an American from Harvard, believe the “advancement” is “justifiable” if it means eradicating life-threatening diseases.
“I feel a strong responsibility that it’s not just to make a first, but also make it an example. Society will decide what to do next,” said He Jiankui, with the technology’s ethical ramifications, as reported by Life Site News.
The research and development of this genetic engineering is obviously controversial even in the scientific community – and rightly so.
Besides being unethical and violating God’s plan for creation, no one yet knows what other repercussions lie ahead.
The researchers are tight-lipped about any other research results, including whether any couples miscarried or had abortions due to the failure of the genetic engineering.
“Data submitted as part of the trial listing shows that genetic tests have been carried out on fetuses as late as 24 weeks, or six months,” the MIT Review notes. “It’s not known if those pregnancies were terminated, carried to term, or are ongoing,” reports Life Site News.
And other scientists not associated with the work are predicting tragic consequences if the technology is continued to be used on human beings.
In fact, they point out that any genetic changes to embryos will be inherited by every other future generation related to the child.
Many point to the likelihood that genetic engineering of humans could lead to higher rates of miscarriage and infant mortality – or even the practice of eugenics in trying to create the “perfect” human race.
A parallel must be made between this current unethical and immoral research and that of the Nazis during the Holocaust.
Gene editing expert Kiran Musunuru of the University of Pennsylvania called it an “unconscionable” experiment and “not morally or ethically defensible,” according to Life Site News.
Claims are also surfacing that He and his team did not disclose all relevant information to couples in the trial, and that the team had never actually worked on the research outside of a lab.
They also unethically and purposely mislabeled their research as an “AIDS vaccine development program” with no mention of genetically modifying babies or the extent of the human trials.
There is also little to no regulation on genetic engineering since it is something that was unthinkable decades ago.
Many in the scientific community are calling for regulations – now – to prevent the technology from being used as He and his team have claimed to do.
One states that, “It is possible that scientists are creating genetically altered embryos, implanting them for gestation, and then aborting them to see how things worked out. Is everyone okay with that?”
No, we’re not okay with that. And no one else should be either.
The use of this technology must be halted immediately in a global effort to stop the horrific consequences that will impact the future of the human race – now, before it’s too late.
What do you think of this immoral and unethical medical technology? Do you think other nations will step in and ban its use on humans? Leave us your comments.