Rash rush to genetically modify humans

Editor's note: The National Health Commission has ordered an investigation into claims made by a Chinese scientist that he has created the world's first genetically edited babies. A video posted on You-Tube by university professor He Jiankui said the twin girls, who he called Lulu and Nana, had been born a few weeks ago, through in-vitro fertilization with the genetic editing technology CRISPR used to alter their DNA to prevent them from contracting HIV. The claim has been greeted with a storm of criticism. China Daily writer Zhang Zhouxiang summarizes some of the reactions from scientists and medical professionals:

Possible risk to human gene pool

"Mad" is the only word suitable to describe the so-called research. As a gene-editing tool, CRISPR has long been controversial, and any attempt to genetically edit human embryos and allow them to grow into babies is highly risky before there is strict testing to ensure its accuracy and rule out any negative effects.