Disruption of the gene should result in humans that are resistant to certain types of viral infection. This research has caused significant ethical debate about the use of gene-editing technologies in the scientific community.
One cause for concern is the significant lack of transparency surrounding the trial. The researcher undertook gaining consent from the parents himself, describing the study on the consent form – misleadingly – as a programme for the development of a novel HIV vaccine.
He Jiankui’s university has claimed it was not aware of the study, and that the researcher had been on unpaid leave. Another cause for concern is the strange choice of HIV as the focus of the study.