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A group of Chinese scientists have revealed that they genetically modified human embryos to make them HIV-resistant, a controversial move that may reignite an ethics debate but otherwise shows China's ambition to take the lead in gene-editing research.
日前，中国一研究团队的科学家透露，转基因的人类胚胎能抵抗艾滋病毒。这是一个充满争议的做法，可能会重新引发伦理争论，但同时，这也表明了中国要在基因编辑技术研究一马当先的雄心。
Researchers at Guangzhou Medical University in China have altered an immune gene in human embryos using a technique known as CRISPR-Cas9, according to a paper published in the Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics on April 6.
根据4月6日发表在《辅助生育与遗传学期刊》的论文表示，广州医学院的研究人员使用了被称为CRISPR-Cas9的技术改变了人类胚胎的免疫基因。
"We used flawed embryos that were not viable for fertility treatment," Fan Yong, the paper's lead author, said in a statement sent to the Global Times Tuesday.
该论文的首席作者范勇在周二发给《环球时报》的声明说：“我们使用了不可能实现生育治疗的有缺陷的胚胎，”
Fan said the research had been approved by the ethics committee of the Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, adding that all the embryos were destroyed after three days.
范勇表示，这项研究得到了广州医学院第三附属医院伦理委员会的批准，并称所有的胚胎三天后被销毁。
The result of the experiment was only partially successful as only four of the 26 embryos were successfully modified and some embryos showed unplanned mutations.
该实验的结果仅获得部分成功，因为只有26个胚胎中的4个的基因被成功修改，并且一些胚胎出现了意外突变。
"Generally speaking, the technology can be applied to treat all diseases caused by inherited variation, including cancers," Han Bin, director of the National Center for Gene Research at the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), told the Global Times.
中国科学院国家基因研究中心主任何汉斌告诉《环球时报》称：“一般来说，该技术可应用于治疗由遗传变异引发的包括癌症在内的百病，”
Critics worry that altering genes this way is a slippery slope that ultimately results in "designer babies."
不过，批评人士则表示担心，他们认为改变基因的这种方式是一种滑坡效应，最终可导致“定制婴儿”。
"This is the first step on a path that scientists have carefully mapped out toward the legalization of genetically modified babies," David King, of anti-gene manipulation group Human Genetics Alert, was quoted by the Associated Press (AP) as saying in February.
美联社引述反操纵基因组织--人类遗传学警报的大卫·金于二月份时发表的言论称：“这是科学家们谨慎地让转基因婴儿走向合法化道路的第一步。”
However, some scientists argued that the technique applied to non-viable human embryos can be defended ethically.
然而，一些科学家却认为，该技术由于使用的是非成活的人类胚胎，因此可以在伦理上为其辩护。
