CRISPR edit linked with mortality

摘要

The genetic mutation made last year by a Chinese scientist using the CRISPR technique has been associated with an increased risk of death by more than a fifth.By analysing records in the UK Biobank database,University of California,Berkeley researchers found that people with two mutated copies of the CCR5 gene had a 21% higher risk of mortality between the ages of 41 and 78.Rasmus Nielsen,a UC Berkeley professor of integrative biology,said:”Beyond the many ethical issues involved with the CRISPR babies,the fact is that,right now,with current knowledge,it is still very dangerous to try to introduce mutations without knowing the full effect of what those mutations do.”