User:Ashmay1999/sandbox

Genetic engineering:
This article is completely relevant to my topic of the future of fetal development in a lab setting, and contains a lot of material with backed up sources. However, there are some basic grammar and sentence flow mistakes that could be fixed.

CRISPR:
This article also relates to my topic, but could be expanded on in the 'applications' section with sources containing recent developments in this technology.

Biological engineering:
This article is relevant to my topic and contains viable information that could be used in my essay. I could improve this article by adding to some missing content.

Synthetic biology:
This article contains some potentially non-relevant information found in the 'space exploration' section. In addition the bioethics and security section also could be updated and further elaborated on with new research and sources.

George M. Church:
George M. Church is a geneticist who works with CRISPR technology. This article could potentially be improved by adding to the lead, and expanding on missing material in the 'education and early life section', and in the 'career' section.

Feng Zhang:
Feng Zhang is a Chinese-American biochemist who does work developing CRISPR to be used in human cells. This article is missing a lot of information, and could be added to with more recent information and sources. In addition, the format of this page could be better spaced out to make it easier to read.

Emmanuelle Charpentier:
Emmanuelle Charpentier is a French biochemist, geneticist, and the co-inventor of CRISPR technology. This article is lacking content mostly in the lead and education section.

He Jiankui:
He Jiankui is a Chinese scientist who made recent headlines for illegally performing an experiment where he editing the genes of twin babies using CRISPR technology. My topic is almost completely about the repercussions of using CRISPR technology on humans, and the future of birth using this technology; therefore, this scientist's work is extremely important to my research. This article could be further elaborated on with more recent sources and information, since Jiankui's punishment for his crimes is still yet to be decided.

Lulu and Nana controversy:
Lulu and Nana are names of the twin babies whose genes were illegally edited by He Jiankui with CRISPR technology. They are the first successfully gene-edited babies. I will be using a lot of information from this case in my research paper because this is the only example of CRISPR successfully being used to edit the genes of humans in present day. In the future, gene-editing and growth of fetuses entirely in lab settings could be the norm if leaders and scientists decide to make this technology legal, which could impact the way society views birth.

Article Evaluation: Lulu and Nana controversy
On the surface level, this page has many grammatical and sentence flow errors found throughout the article. The information in this article could be better organized to help the reader better understand this article and the experiment at hand. In particular, the sentence structure in the 'Reactions' section is written basically in bullet form, and could definitely be changed into a better sentence structure. In addition, this article is missing a lot of details and content that could further inform the reader of the details of this experiment and its repercussions. With proper research, I could add a lot more information especially in the 'Announcement', 'Reactions', and 'Related research' sections, in addition to the possibility of adding more sections to further explain this controversy. For example, an added section of He Jiankui, the scientist who illegally performed this experiment, could better organize this information and add more useful detail.

Announcement[edit]
He announced his project involving Lulu and Nana in an interview with the news agency Associated Press on 19 November 2018, the eve of the Second International Summit on Human Genome Editing at the University of Hong Kong. The project had received no independent confirmation, and had not been peer reviewed or published in a scientific journal.[5] [3] [8] [9]

Soon after He's revelation, his university, the Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech), stated He's research was conducted outside of their campus, and they were unaware of the research project and its nature.[17] China’s National Health Commission also ordered provincial health officials to investigate his case.[5]

Origins[edit]
The embryos that became Lulu and Nana were generated during a clinical experiment run by He of the Southern University of Science and Technology in Shenzhen, while he was on leave from the university and working through Shenzhen Harmonicare Women’s and Children’s Hospital.[18] The project had recruited couples who wanted to have children; in order to participate, the man had to be HIV-positive and the woman, uninfected.[18] The couples were recruited through a Beijing-based AIDS advocacy group called Baihualin.[18] He kept the clinical project secret from the scientific community, and, as of 28 November, it was unclear whether the participants had given truly informed consent.[4] [19]

He, the researcher, took sperm and eggs from the couples, performed in vitro fertilization with them, and then edited the genomes of the embryos using CRISPR/Cas9.[18] The editing targeted a gene, CCR5, that codes for a protein that HIV uses to enter cells.[19] [20] He was trying to create a specific mutation in the gene, (CCR5 Δ32), that few people naturally have — that possibly confers innate resistance to HIV,[19] as seen in the case of the Berlin Patient.[21] He said that the girls still carried functional copies of CCR5 along with disabled CCR5 given mosaicism inherent in the present state of the art in germ-line editing.<sup id="cite_ref-22" class="reference">[22] There are forms of HIV that use a different receptor instead of CCR5, and the work that He did could not protect Lulu and Nana from those forms of HIV.<sup id="cite_ref-NYT-20181128_19-3" class="reference">[19]

He used a preimplantation genetic diagnosis process on the embryos that were edited, where three to five single cells were removed, and fully sequenced, to identify chimerism and off-target errors. He says that during the pregnancy, cell-free fetal DNA was fully sequenced to check for off-target errors, and the mother was offered amniocentesis to check for problems with the pregnancy, but she declined.<sup id="cite_ref-NYT-20181128_19-4" class="reference">[19] The children were born in mid-October 2018.<sup id="cite_ref-NYT-20190414_1-2" class="reference">[1] He said that they appeared to be healthy.<sup id="cite_ref-Statuproar_4-2" class="reference">[4] When they were born, it was unclear if there might be long-term effects from the gene-editing. He was asked about his plans to monitor the children, and pay for their care should any problems arise, and how their confidentiality, and that of their parents, could remain protected.<sup id="cite_ref-Statuproar_4-3" class="reference">[4]

On 25 November 2018, MIT Technology Review published a story about the work, based on documents that had been posted earlier that month on the Chinese clinical trials registry.<sup id="cite_ref-MIT-20181125_8-2" class="reference">[8] After that story was posted, He released a promotional video on YouTube and the next day, the Associated Press published an interview with him.<sup id="cite_ref-MIT-20181125_8-3" class="reference">[8] <sup id="cite_ref-AP_18-4" class="reference">[18] He had engaged a public relations firm as well.<sup id="cite_ref-Statjkbio_23-0" class="reference">[23] He eventually presented the work that led to the birth of the girls on November 28 at the International Human Genome Editing Summit.<sup id="cite_ref-Statuproar_4-4" class="reference">[4]

Announcement[edit]
Chinese scientist He Jiankui announced his experiment involving editing the genes of twin babies 'Lulu and Nana' in an interview with the news agency Associated Press on November 19, 2018, the eve of the Second International Summit on Human Genome Editing at the University of Hong Kong. On November 25, 2018, He posted the announcement of his experiment and the successful birth of the twins on Youtube. Dr. He's experiment had received no independent confirmation, and had not been peer reviewed or published in a scientific journal.<sup id="cite_ref-NYT-20181126_5-2" class="reference">[5] <sup id="cite_ref-SN-20181126_3-1" class="reference">[3] <sup id="cite_ref-MIT-20181125_8-1" class="reference">[8] <sup id="cite_ref-NAT-20181127_9-1" class="reference">[9] Soon after He Jiankui's revelation, the university at which He was previously employed, the Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech), stated He's research was conducted outside of their campus, and they were unaware of the research project and its nature.<sup id="cite_ref-SUSTC-20181126_17-0" class="reference">[17] China’s National Health Commission also ordered provincial health officials to investigate his case soon after the experiment was revealed.<sup id="cite_ref-NYT-20181126_5-3" class="reference">[5]

Origins
The embryos that became Lulu and Nana were generated during a clinical experiment run by He Jiankui, a Chinese scientist of the Southern University of Science and Technology in Shenzhen, while he was on leave from the university and working through Shenzhen Harmonicare Women’s and Children’s Hospital.<sup id="cite_ref-AP_18-0" class="reference">[18] The project had recruited couples who wanted to have children. In order to participate in the experiment, the man chosen had to be HIV-positive and the woman, uninfected.<sup id="cite_ref-AP_18-1" class="reference">[18] The couples were recruited through a Beijing-based AIDS advocacy group called Baihualin.<sup id="cite_ref-AP_18-2" class="reference">[18] Dr. He kept the clinical project secret from the scientific community until the experiment's announcement, and as of November 28, 2018, it was unclear whether the participants had given truly informed consent.<sup id="cite_ref-Statuproar_4-1" class="reference">[4] <sup id="cite_ref-NYT-20181128_19-0" class="reference">[19]

Experiment and Birth
He, the researcher, took sperm and eggs from the couples, performed in vitro fertilization with the eggs and sperm, and then edited the genomes of the embryos using CRISPR/Cas9.<sup id="cite_ref-AP_18-3" class="reference">[18] The editing targeted a gene, CCR5, that codes for a protein that HIV uses to enter cells.<sup id="cite_ref-NYT-20181128_19-1" class="reference">[19] <sup id="cite_ref-pmid15556703_20-0" class="reference">[20] He was trying to create a specific mutation in the gene, (CCR5 Δ32), that few people naturally have — that possibly confers innate resistance to HIV,<sup id="cite_ref-NYT-20181128_19-2" class="reference">[19] as seen in the case of the Berlin Patient.<sup id="cite_ref-21" class="reference">[21] Dr. He said that Lulu and Nana still carried functional copies of CCR5 along with disabled CCR5 given mosaicism inherent in the present state of the art in germ-line editing.<sup id="cite_ref-22" class="reference">[22] There are forms of HIV that use a different receptor gene instead of CCR5; therefore, the work Dr. He did theoretically could not protect Lulu and Nana from those forms of HIV.<sup id="cite_ref-NYT-20181128_19-3" class="reference">[19] He used a preimplantation genetic diagnosis process on the embryos that were edited, where three to five single cells were removed, and fully sequenced them to identify chimerism and off-target errors. Dr. He says that during the pregnancy, cell-free fetal DNA was fully sequenced to check for off-target errors, and an amniocentesis was offered to check for problems with the pregnancy, but the mother declined.<sup id="cite_ref-NYT-20181128_19-4" class="reference">[19] Lulu and Nana were born in secrecy in October 2018.<sup id="cite_ref-NYT-20190414_1-2" class="reference">[1] Dr. He said that they appeared to be healthy.<sup id="cite_ref-Statuproar_4-2" class="reference">[4] At the time of the twins' birth, it was unclear if there might be long-term effects from the gene-editing of their cells.

Reactions and Aftermath[edit]
He did not disclose the parents' names and they did not make themselves available to be interviewed, so their reaction to this experiment and the following controversy is not known.<sup id="cite_ref-AP_18-5" class="reference">[18] There was widespread criticism in the media and scientific community over the conduct of the clinical project and its secrecy,<sup id="cite_ref-NYT-20181205_6-1" class="reference">[6] and concerns raised for the long term well being of Lulu and Nana.<sup id="cite_ref-Statuproar_4-5" class="reference">[4] <sup id="cite_ref-NAT-20181127_9-2" class="reference">[9] Bioethicist Hanry T. Greely of Stanford Law School declared, "I unequivocally condemn the experiment,"<sup id="cite_ref-CNBC-20181126_24-0" class="reference">[24] and later, "He Jiankui’s experiment was, amazingly, even worse than I first thought."<sup id="cite_ref-STAT-20190415_25-0" class="reference">[25] Michael W. Deem, an American bioengineering professor at Rice University and Dr. He's doctoral advisor, was involved in the research, and was present when people involved in He's study gave consent.<sup id="cite_ref-AP_18-6" class="reference">[18] Deem came under investigation by Rice after news of the work was made public.<sup id="cite_ref-CNN-20181127_26-0" class="reference">[26] A series of investigations were opened by He's university, local authorities, and the Chinese government. On November 25 2018, MIT Technology Review published a story about the work, based on documents that had been posted earlier that month on the Chinese clinical trials registry.<sup id="cite_ref-MIT-20181125_8-2" class="reference">[8] After that story was posted, Dr. He released a promotional video on YouTube and the next day the Associated Press published an interview with him.<sup id="cite_ref-MIT-20181125_8-3" class="reference">[8] <sup id="cite_ref-AP_18-4" class="reference">[18] He had engaged a public relations firm as well.<sup id="cite_ref-Statjkbio_23-0" class="reference">[23] He eventually presented the work that led to the birth of the girls on November 28 at the International Human Genome Editing Summit.<sup id="cite_ref-Statuproar_4-4" class="reference">[4] On 29 November 2018, Chinese authorities suspended all of He's research activities, saying his work was "extremely abominable in nature" and a violation of Chinese law.<sup id="cite_ref-CNN-20181129_10-1" class="reference">[10] As of 28 December 2018, He Jianku is sequestered in a university apartment under some sort of surveillance,<sup id="cite_ref-NYT-20181228_11-1" class="reference">[11] <sup id="cite_ref-CNN-20190107_12-1" class="reference">[12] and may face serious consequences.<sup id="cite_ref-NYT-20190121_13-1" class="reference">[13] On 29 January 2019, it was learned that a U.S. Nobel laureate interviewed He about his experiment with gene-edited babies.<sup id="cite_ref-27" class="reference">[27] In February 2019, He's claims were reported to have been confirmed by Chinese investigators, according to NPR News.<sup id="cite_ref-NPR-20190205_28-0" class="reference">[28] Later in February 2019, news was reported that suggested the Chinese government may have helped fund the CRISPR babies experiment, at least in part, based on newly uncovered documents.<sup id="cite_ref-STAT-20190225_14-1" class="reference">[14] <sup id="cite_ref-VRG-20190226_15-1" class="reference">[15] <sup id="cite_ref-VOX-20190304_16-1" class="reference">[16]