中國科學家再編輯人類胚胎基因 或可抗艾滋病毒

A group of Chinese scientists have revealed that they genetically modified human embryos to make them HIV-resistant, a controversial move that may reignite an ethics debate but otherwise shows China's ambition to take the lead in gene-editing research.

日前，中國一研究團隊的科學家透露，轉基因的人類胚胎能抵抗艾滋病毒。這是一個充滿爭議的做法，可能會重新引發倫理爭論，但同時，這也表明了中國要在基因編輯技術研究一馬當先的雄心。

Researchers at Guangzhou Medical University in China have altered an immune gene in human embryos using a technique known as CRISPR-Cas9, according to a paper published in the Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics on April 6.

根據4月6日發表在《輔助生育與遺傳學期刊》的論文表示，廣州醫學院的研究人員使用了被稱爲CRISPR-Cas9的技術改變了人類胚胎的免疫基因。

"We used flawed embryos that were not viable for fertility treatment," Fan Yong, the paper's lead author, said in a statement sent to the Global Times Tuesday.

該論文的首席作者範勇在週二發給《環球時報》的聲明說：“我們使用了不可能實現生育治療的有缺陷的胚胎，”

Fan said the research had been approved by the ethics committee of the Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, adding that all the embryos were destroyed after three days.

範勇表示，這項研究得到了廣州醫學院第三附屬醫院倫理委員會的批准，並稱所有的胚胎三天後被銷燬。

The result of the experiment was only partially successful as only four of the 26 embryos were successfully modified and some embryos showed unplanned mutations.

該實驗的結果僅獲得部分成功，因爲只有26個胚胎中的4個的基因被成功修改，並且一些胚胎出現了意外突變。

"Generally speaking, the technology can be applied to treat all diseases caused by inherited variation, including cancers," Han Bin, director of the National Center for Gene Research at the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), told the Global Times.

中國科學院國家基因研究中心主任何漢斌告訴《環球時報》稱：“一般來說，該技術可應用於治療由遺傳變異引發的包括癌症在內的百病，”

Critics worry that altering genes this way is a slippery slope that ultimately results in "designer babies."

不過，批評人士則表示擔心，他們認爲改變基因的這種方式是一種滑坡效應，最終可導致“定製嬰兒”。

"This is the first step on a path that scientists have carefully mapped out toward the legalization of genetically modified babies," David King, of anti-gene manipulation group Human Genetics Alert, was quoted by the Associated Press (AP) as saying in February.

美聯社引述反操縱基因組織--人類遺傳學警報的大衛·金於二月份時發表的言論稱：“這是科學家們謹慎地讓轉基因嬰兒走向合法化道路的第一步。”

However, some scientists argued that the technique applied to non-viable human embryos can be defended ethically.

然而，一些科學家卻認爲，該技術由於使用的是非成活的人類胚胎，因此可以在倫理上爲其辯護。