Photo: Kin Cheung/AP/Shutterstock
A Chinese scientist has been sentenced to three years in prison after he claimed to have created the world’s first gene-edited babies, several outlets report.
On Monday, the Chinese court found He Jiankui guilty of “illegal medical practice,” and fined him about $430,000 in addition to his prison time, according toThe Washington PostandThe New York Times.
Dr. He pleaded guilty to forging approval documents from ethics review boards to recruit couples in which the man had H.I.V., and the woman did not, theTimesreported.
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Two of Dr. He’s collaborators, Zhang Renli and Qin Jinzhou, were also convicted. Zhang was sentenced to two years, while Qin received one and a half years.
Several U.S. scientists have also been under review for any involvement with He’s experimentation.
ThePostreports that Stanford Universityhas absolved its scientistsfrom any involvement after an extensive investigation, including that of He’s former postdoctoral academic adviser, Stephen Quake.
Rice University has also been investigating bioengineering professor Michael Deem, He’s former Ph.D. adviser. Deem was listed as aco-author on an unpublished papersent toTechnology Reviewthat detailed He’s experiment. His lawyers have denied his involvement in the research, according to theTimesandTechnology Review.
source: people.com
