Crispr是“规律成簇的间隔短回文重复”(clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats)的简称,是一套新的基因编辑技术中最简单的一种,借鉴了细菌的免疫系统。当细菌遭到病毒的入侵时,会使用“分子剪刀”——一种DNA内切酶来切掉入侵者。将分子剪刀与一个能将“刀锋”引导到特定点的分子进行配对,你就能够对基因组进行编辑了。DNA被切除后,细胞修复机制开始发挥作用,接合断裂的部分,胚胎继续发育。这就是中国科学家从人类胚胎中去除突变基因的方法。
The deletion was not perfect. It was carried out in a non-viable embryo so we will never know if it would have developed into a thalassaemia-free baby. Nonetheless, the research was so controversial that both Nature and Science declined to publish it. But publication elsewhere in April ignited a debate that still burns. A group of mostly US biologists has called for a moratorium, noting that modifications to the human germ line (changes that would be passed down generations) constituted a Rubicon not to be crossed lightly. UK scientists, working in a tight regulatory regime, are loath to back this call given the risk to basic science.
这一切除还不完美。由于实验是在一个不能存活的胚胎上进行的,我们永远无从得知这个胚胎能否发育成一个不会患地中海贫血症的婴儿。尽管如此,这项研究极富争议性,以至于《自然》(Nature)和《科学》(Science)都拒绝发表这项研究。但该研究今年4月发表在别处,引发了一场仍在激烈展开的辩论。以美国生物学家为主的一组科学家呼吁中止研究,指出对人类生殖细胞系的修改(这种修改会代代相传)是一条不可轻率跨过的界线。在严格的监管制度下工作的英国科学家考虑到对基础科学构成的风险,不愿呼应前者的呼吁。
【超级富豪也将成为健康超人】相关文章:
★ “超级真菌”在美爆发,致死率高达60%,中国已确认18例
★ 女孩与犀牛成好友
最新
2020-09-15
2020-09-15
2020-09-15
2020-09-15
2020-09-15
2020-09-15