Genetic scientists must not violate ethics and existing rules

After a two-day meeting that concluded on Tuesday, the World Health Organization's expert committee reached a consensus that no one should use germline genome editing that culminates in human pregnancy. The committee, which also included a Chinese representative, agreed to work to build a strong global governance framework for human gene editing, deemed both risky and promising.

The decision comes four months after Shenzhen-based Chinese researcher He Jiankui claimed that he had created the first genetically edited human babies "designed" to be immune to HIV. The news shocked the international scientific community and prompted Guangdong province to launch an investigation into the case. The probe results, released in January, confirmed the birth of the twin girls and found some overseas scientists were also involved in the project.

In the United States, Rice University in Houston, Texas, launched an investigation against Michael Deem, a bioengineering professor at the university and He's former instructor, in late November for participating in He's research. But the university is yet to issue the probe report.