Chinese Doctor Who Edited Babies’ Genes Wants to Fix Alzheimer’s

The Chinese scientist who was at the center of global condemnation for altering babies’ genes wants to use a similar technique to prevent Alzheimer’s disease.

He Jiankui, who shocked the world in 2018 by announcing he had altered the genes of embryos to make them resistant to HIV, is now proposing to test whether a particular genetic mutation confers protection against the most common cause of dementia. No human embryos would be implanted to create a pregnancy in the study — meaning no babies will be born — and it will first be trialled on a mouse, according to ...