I think that the researcher Jankui went through with his experiment because it was something, he was passionate about. Even though he likely knew it was unethical, I think that he believed it would work and could lead science in a new direction, so he went through with it. It was stated that his experiment was descried as “crazy and a huge blow to the global reputation and development of Chinese science” (Li, Jing-Ru et al.). Before researches really studied his experiment, they viewed it as a “dramatic scientific advancement” (Li, Jing-Ru et al.). In my opinion, that shows that maybe Jankui and his team did not fully do all the research they should have done. Maybe they didn’t study all the risks that could occur because of this, or maybe they did, and they thought that the risks were not as bad as they were made out to be. Maybe the good outweighed the bad in their eyes. I think that even though they thought this was a good idea and went along with it that they should be held responsible for their unethical violations. As a scientist and researcher, I think that it is important to keep the safety of your tests and the people you are experimenting on a number one priority. In this case, I think they did not keep that in mind or else they wouldn’t have gone along with the experiment. I think that if a complication occurs then they should be held responsible for medical bills and maybe some type of criminal punishment because that is someone’s life they are putting at risk. “Gene editing itself is experimental and is still associated with off-target mutations, capable of causing genetic problems early and later in life, including the development of cancer” (Normile, D.). Most of the scientist or researchers that spoke about Jankui’s experiment said his experiment was not medically justified. This might make the public less accepting to new drugs and experiments that could really benefit them or their family members because they see so many stories like this and think that the scientists just want fame instead of having one’s quality of life as their main priority.
Li, J. (2019). Experiments that led to the first gene-edited babies: the ethical failings and the urgent need for better governance. J Zhejiang Univ Sci B. 20(1): 32-38. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6331330
Normile, D. (2018). CRISPR bombshell: Chinese researcher claims to have created gene-edited twins. Science mag. Retrieved from https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2018/11/crispr-bombshell-chinese-researcher-claims-have-created-gene-edited-twins