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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Science
Hannah Devlin Science correspondent

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

He Jiankui (right) guides a laboratory staff member at a genomics lab in Shenzhen, China, in 2016
He Jiankui (right) was found guilty of ‘illegal medical practices’ and jailed for three years in China. Photograph: VCG/Getty Images

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.

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