A US university that a Chinese researcher once enrolled had started investigation: a baby with genome editing

Recently the NHK News on-line reported the following:

ゲノム編集で赤ちゃん 中国の研究者が在籍した米大学が調査

2018年11月30日 9時42分

中国の研究者が、「ゲノム編集」で遺伝情報を書き換えた赤ちゃんが産まれたと主張していることを受けて、この研究者がかつて在籍したアメリカの大学は、恩師にあたる教授が関係していないか、調査を始めたことを明らかにしました。

中国の南方科技大学の賀建奎准教授は、父親がエイズウイルスに感染しているカップルの受精卵に対して、ゲノム編集でエイズウイルスに感染しないよう遺伝情報を書き換え、双子が誕生したと主張しています。

これについて、賀准教授が2010年まで博士課程で在籍した南部テキサス州にあるライス大学は29日、ＮＨＫの取材に対し、大学に在籍する生命工学の教授が関係していないか、調査を始めたことを明らかにしました。

この教授は、賀准教授がライス大学で博士号を取得した際の恩師にあたり、共同での論文もあります。

また、ＡＰ通信は、この教授は中国でゲノム編集を受精卵に対して行う計画について、参加するカップルに同意を得る際に立ち会ったと伝えています。

ライス大学は、大学としては知るところではなかったが、どこで行われたとしても、科学研究の指針や倫理基準に違反しているとしており、教授が関係していないか、詳しく調べるとしています。

 Translation

Chinese researchers, after noting a researcher insisted that a baby had code-word rewritten through "genome editing" was born, had begun to investigate the American university which this researcher had once enrolled in order to find out whether the professor who taught this researcher was involved.

Associate professor He Jiankui of the Southern University of Science and Technology was insisting that towards a fertilized egg of a couple with the father infected by AIDS virus, he had rewritten the code-word using genome editing so that it would not be infected by AIDS virus,  and that a twin was born.

About this on the 29^th , in responded to a NHK coverage, the Rice University in Southern State of Texas which was enrolled by associate professor He JianKui in a Doctoral course until 2010, had made it clear that it began to investigate whether or not the teaching professor of biotechnology in the university was involved.

This professor was the former teacher of associate professor Gu when the latter acquired a doctorate at Rice University; they also had joint papers.

Furthermore, the AP News reported that about the plan of using genome editing in a fertilized egg in China, this professor had witnessed the moment when the consent of the participating couple was given.

For the Rice University, nothing had come to its attention as a university; but no matter where the editing was performed, it was assumed to have violated the guidelines of scientific research and ethical standards, and a detailed investigation was supposed to examine whether the professor was related.

              It is shocking to know that this researcher has violated the guidelines of scientific research and ethical standards.