The CCR5 Modification Controversy: Central to He Jiankui’s experiment, the choice to edit the CCR5 gene sparked intense debate. While CCR5 deletion can confer resistance to HIV, it is not foolproof and increases susceptibility to other diseases like West Nile Virus and possibly reduces cognitive function. Scientists criticized the medical justification, as HIV-positive fathers can safely have children via sperm washing, eliminating transmission risk without gene editing. The edit was also mosaic, meaning not all cells carried the mutation, reducing efficacy. Furthermore, the alteration introduced unintended mutations (off-target effects). This case highlighted the dangers of editing genes with pleiotropic effects—multiple biological roles—without fully understanding the consequences, turning a well-known gene into a symbol of scientific overreach.
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