Scientist who edited babies’ genes admits he acted ‘too quickly’

He Jiankui stops short of apologising for procedure that shocked the world of science in 2018

He Jiankui: 'I put the happiness of the family first and the science discovery second'. File Picture: AP

The scientist at the heart of the scandal involving the world’s first gene-edited babies has said he moved “too quickly” by pressing ahead with the procedure.

He Jiankui sent shock waves across the world of science when he announced in 2018 that he had edited the genes of twin girls, Lulu and Nana, before birth. He was subsequently sacked by his university in Shenzhen, received a three-year prison sentence, and was broadly condemned for having gone ahead with the risky, ethically contentious and medically unjustified procedure with inadequate consent from the families involved.