吃瓜不打烊

Skip to main content

The independent source for health policy research, polling, and news.

Subscribe Follow Us
  • Trump 2.0

    Trump 2.0

    • Agency Watch
    • State Watch
    • Rural Health Payout
  • Public Health

    Public Health

    • Vaccines
    • CDC & Disease
    • Environmental Health
    All Public Health
  • Audio Reports

    Audio Reports

    • What the Health?
    • Healthcare Helpline
    • 吃瓜不打烊 Minute
    • An Arm and a Leg
    • Health Hub
    • HealthQ
    • Silence in Sikeston
    • Epidemic
    All Audio
  • Special Reports

    Special Reports

    • Bill Of The Month
    • Common Ground
    • Diagnosis: Debt
    • The Body Shops
    • Priced Out
    • Guns, Race, and Profit
    • Broken Rehab
    • Dead Zone
    • Denied
    • Opioid Settlement Tracking
    • Eleven Minutes
    All Special Reports
  • More Topics

    More Topics

    • Elections
    • Healthcare Costs
    • Insurance
    • Prescription Drugs
    • Health Industry
    • Immigration
    • Reproductive Health
    • Technology
    • Rural Health
    • Race and Health
    • Aging
    • Mental Health
    • Affordable Care Act
    • Medicare
    • Medicaid
    • Children’s Health
    All Topics

  • Medicare Advantage Billing Probe
  • School Vaccine Mandates
  • Weight Loss Drugs Coverage
  • Opioid Settlement Money
  • Abortion Pill Access

Morning Briefing

Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations

  • Email

Tuesday, Jan 22 2019

Full Issue

Scientist Who Used Gene Editing On Human Embryos Likely To Face Criminal Charges In China

China acknowledged the births and the fate of He Jiankui for the first time Monday. The Chinese ministry said it "resolutely opposed He's work,'' but the global science community argues He鈥檚 case underscores China鈥檚 lack of updated laws governing genetic research.

A Chinese scientist who claimed to have created the world鈥檚 first genetically edited babies 鈥渟eriously violated鈥 state regulations, according to the results of an initial government investigation reported on Monday by Chinese state media. The investigators鈥 findings indicate that the scientist, He Jiankui, and his collaborators are likely to face criminal charges. (Ramzy and Wee, 1/21)

Officials told the Xinhua News Agency that the scientist, Shenzhen-based He Jiankui, 鈥渨ill be transferred to public security authorities,鈥 and the people involved in the experiment 鈥渟everely dealt with according to the law.鈥 Xinhua didn鈥檛 elaborate. A spokesman for Dr. He didn鈥檛 immediately respond to a request for comment. The comments marked the first time Chinese authorities alluded to the possible fate of the scientist. It was also the first time China acknowledged the controversial births. (Rana, 1/21)

Chinese authorities appear to have confirmed a scientist's unpublished claim that he helped make the world's first gene-edited babies and that a second pregnancy is underway, and say he could face consequences for his work. China's official Xinhua News Agency said Monday that investigators in Guangdong province determined that the scientist, He Jiankui, evaded supervision of his work and violated research norms because he wanted to be famous. The report said He acted alone and will be punished for any violations of the law, although it didn't say which regulations he may have broken. (1/21)

This is part of the Morning Briefing, a summary of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription.
Newsletter icon

Sign Up For Our Newsletter

Stay informed by signing up for the Morning Briefing and other emails:

Recent Morning Briefings

  • Today, August 7
  • Thursday, August 6
  • Wednesday, August 5
  • Tuesday, August 4
  • Monday, August 3
  • Friday, July 31
More Morning Briefings
RSS Feeds
  • Podcasts
  • Special Reports
  • Morning Briefing
  • 吃瓜不打烊
  • Republish Our Content
  • Contact Us

Follow Us

  • RSS

Sign up for emails

Join our email list for regular updates based on your personal preferences.

Sign up
  • Editorial Policy
  • Privacy Policy

漏 2026 KFF