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Blake, Wm. The Spirit of Plato. 1816.

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A Chinese scientist jailed for three years for creating the world’s first gene-edited babies is now back in the lab and says he’s even more dedicated to engineering “designer babies.”

He Jiankui was sentenced in 2018 for using the gene-editing technique CRISPR on human embryos, violating medical regulations. He now promises to follow domestic and international rules by using discarded embryos, even though the living embryos he tinkered with ended up being born as healthy babies.

His focus is now on treating genetic diseases including Duchenne muscular dystrophy and Alzheimer's with gene-editing techniques in human embryos.

Jiankui: “We will use discarded human embryos and comply with both domestic and international rules. I’m proud to have helped families who wanted healthy children. I regret that it was too hasty.”