Technology: Gene-edited animals could help humanity, but they're in 'regulatory limbo' - PressFrom - US

TechnologyGene-edited animals could help humanity, but they're in 'regulatory limbo'

17:25  15 march  2019
17:25  15 march  2019 Source:

Chinese scientist who made gene-edited babies evaded oversight to seek fame: report

Chinese scientist who made gene-edited babies evaded oversight to seek fame: report A Chinese scientist who said he made the world's first "gene-edited" babies intentionally evaded oversight and broke national guidelines in a quest for fame and fortune, according to a government investigation quoted in state media on Monday. Scientist He Jiankui said in November that he used a gene-editing technology known as CRISPR-Cas9 to alter the embryonic genes of twin girls born that month, sparking an international outcry about the ethics and safety of such research.

Regulation of gene expression includes a wide range of mechanisms that are used by cells to increase or decrease the production of specific gene products (protein or RNA)

Gene editing itself is experimental and is still associated with off-target mutations, capable of He said he chose embryo gene editing for HIV because these infections are a major problem in China. Couples could choose whether to use edited or unedited embryos for pregnancy attempts.

Gene-edited animals could help humanity, but they're in 'regulatory limbo'© DepositPhotos a white rat in front of beakers in a blue lab




Second woman carrying gene-edited baby in China: state media

Second woman carrying gene-edited baby in China: state media A researcher who claimed to have created the world's first genetically-edited babies will face a Chinese police investigation, state media said Monday, as authorities confirmed that a second woman fell pregnant during the experiment. He Jiankui shocked the scientific community last year after announcing he had successfully altered the genes of twin girls born in November to prevent them from contracting HIV. He had told a human genome forum in Hong Kong that there had been "another potential pregnancy" involving a second couple.

Pro: Research on Gene Editing in Humans Must Continue. By John Harris. But they rejected human germline modification—using genetically altered embryos or gametes to produce a At best, supporters can say that it might re -weight the genetic lottery in favor of different outcomes Permitting human germline gene editing for any reason would likely lead to its escape from regulatory limits, to

A regulator gene , regulator , or regulatory gene is a gene involved in controlling the expression of one or more other genes . Regulatory sequences, which encode regulatory genes , are often 5' to the start site of transcription of the gene they regulate .




China clones gene-edited monkeys to aid disorder research

China clones gene-edited monkeys to aid disorder research Chinese scientists announced Thursday they had cloned five monkeys from a single animal that was genetically engineered to have a sleep disorder, saying it could aid research into human psychological problems. require(["medianetNativeAdOnArticle"], function (medianetNativeAdOnArticle) { medianetNativeAdOnArticle.getMedianetNativeAds(true); }); The claim, detailed in two reports published in a Chinese science journal, is the latest in a series of biomedical advances in the country, some of which have fuelled medical ethics debates.

The human genome is the complete set of nucleic acid sequences for humans , encoded as DNA within the 23 chromosome pairs in cell nuclei and in a small DNA molecule found within individual

(Genetically edited plants are currently regulated by the Department of Agriculture, which has Currently, genetically engineered animals must go through a rigorous regulatory approval, showing that Known as a gene drive, the ability to force particular genes into future generations of an entire

Those include documents like the Codex Alimentarius, a set of international food standards produced by the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and WHO. The Codex includes information on how to assess the food safety of genetically modified organisms, whether microbe, plant, or animal.




US Nobelist was told of gene-edited babies, emails show

US Nobelist was told of gene-edited babies, emails show Emails show the Chinese scientist who claimed the first gene-edited babies told an American Nobel laureate about the experiment. The revelation comes as researchers debate whether and how to alert troubling research. Messages obtained by The Associated Press show that Nobel Prize winner Craig Mello learned about the pregnancy in an email titled "Success!" from He Jiankui, months before the news became public. Mello said he disapproved, but stayed on as an adviser to He's company.

SIOUX CENTER, Iowa — Other than the few small luxuries afforded them , like private access to a large patch of grass, there was nothing to mark the two hornless dairy calves born last spring at a breeding facility here as early specimens in a new era of humanity ’s dominion over nature.

The regulation of genetic engineering varies widely by country. Countries such as the United States, Canada, Lebanon and Egypt use substantial equivalence as the starting point when assessing safety, while many countries such as those in the European Union

For now, though, gene editing on animals is regulated differently all around the world, says James Murray, a professor of animal science at the University of California, Davis. The same is true for plants, which researchers have been able to gene edit for about twenty years, Murray says. On issues surrounding gene editing in the food supply, this difference in regulation “is causing trade disruption on the plant side and will clearly cause disruption on the animal side,” he says. In the United States, edited genes in animals are subject to drug regulations under the FDA; in Europe, the edited animals themselves are heavily regulated as GMO foods.

The stakes here are high, because they’re related to human health: take the example of Murray’s Nubian goats. His team developed animals that produce a human protein that helps treat diarrhea in their milk. These goats, which are in all other respects normal, could potentially make milk for families in developing nations, providing them with food while also helping children with diseases that cause diarrhea. The World Health Organization says diarrheal disease is the second leading cause of death around the world in children under five, and the leading cause of malnutrition. The goats and other transgenic animals are in “regulatory limbo,” as Megan Molteni wrote for Undark. But they could potentially help millions. “Harmonization of regulations is something that would benefit everybody,” Murray says.

Rare albino deer captured in photo by man driving through Michigan park.
A rare albino deer born in Kensington Metroparks several years ago was spotted Wednesday afternoon by a Michigan man.

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