Chinese scientist He Jiankui, released from prison in April, plans to pursue gene therapy for rare diseases like Duchenne muscular dystrophy. He aims to make treatments affordable and accessible, a stark contrast to his previous controversial gene-editing of human embryos.
He Jiankui's return to gene therapy research raises ethical questions about the scientific community's acceptance of researchers with a history of misconduct, particularly after his controversial 'CRISPR babies' experiment.
Chinese scientist He Jiankui, who was released from prison in April after being found guilty of illegal medical practices for editing human embryos, has announced plans to establish a new independent lab in Beijing. He intends to focus on gene therapy to treat inherited diseases, specifically targeting conditions like Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). He stated his ambition to make these therapies affordable, contrasting with the high costs of existing treatments. He Jiankui hopes to raise 50 million yuan ($7.2 million) and launch a clinical trial for DMD by 2025. He was previously a researcher at Southern University of Science and Technology in Shenzhen.
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