---
title: "Russian Scientist Still Plotting to Create More CRISPR Babies"
description: "Remember all the commotion and immediate backlash against the idea of CRISPR babies — human embryos that have their genes altered with CRISPR — a while back? Well, the idea hasn’t gone away, much to bioethicists’ chagrin. Russian biologist Denis Rebrikov of Moscow’s Pirogov Medical University still plans to gene-hack human embryos, he told New […]"
date: "2020-09-04"
modified: "2020-09-04"
authors:
  - name: "Dan Robitzski"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/danrobitzski"
url: "https://futurism.com/neoscope/russian-scientist-plotting-create-crispr-babies"
categories:
  - "Gene Editing"
  - "Genetics"
  - "Health & Medicine"
tags:
  - "crispr babies"
  - "genetics"
  - "medicine"
---

# Russian Scientist Still Plotting to Create More CRISPR Babies

![A Russian biologist plans to gene-hack more CRISPR babies in an attempt to prevent deafness despite other scientists' warnings.](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/russian-scientist-plotting-create-crispr-babies.jpg>)
*\<em\>Image: Picsea via Unsplash/Tag Hartman-Simkins\</em\>*

Remember all the commotion and [immediate backlash](<https://futurism.com/neoscope/experts-horrified-leaked-crispr-baby-study>) against the idea of CRISPR babies — human embryos that have their genes altered with CRISPR — after a Chinese researcher [created](<https://futurism.com/neoscope/china-prison-he-jiankui-gene-edited-babies>) a pair of twins with altered genetic code in 2018 and 2019?

Well, the concept [hasn't gone away](<https://futurism.com/neoscope/crispr-baby-scientist-designer-clinic>), much to bioethicists' chagrin. Now, Russian biologist Denis Rebrikov of Moscow's Pirogov Medical University is [telling *New Scientist* ](<https://www.newscientist.com/article/2253688-russian-biologist-still-aims-to-make-crispr-babies-despite-the-risks/>)that he still plans to gene-hack human embryos, in an attempt to prevent congenital deafness.

"We are still planning to correct the inherited hearing loss mutation in \[the gene\] GJB2, so that a hearing baby is born to a deaf couple," Rebrikov told the magazine.

But other scientists, of course, remain convinced that's a bad idea. After the Chinese researcher [He Jiankui created](<https://futurism.com/neoscope/china-prison-he-jiankui-gene-edited-babies>) the world's first CRISPR babies a few years back, an international team of doctors created the International Commission on the Clinical Use of Human Germline Genome Editing.

The commission, *New Scientist* reports, [published a report](<https://www.nap.edu/catalog/25665/heritable-human-genome-editing>) on Thursday concluding that human gene editing is still unsafe, especially when the goal is to bring an embryo to term. And if a doctor absolutely must do so, they suggest that it ought to be only for life-saving purposes.

Even having read the report, Rebrikov told *New Scientist* that he's still moving ahead with his plan.

It's not clear that he's got the necessary approval from Russian regulatory bodies. But, as is the case in many countries around the world, Russia doesn't outright ban the practice so he may be able to sneak his experiments through.

## Author
Dan Robitzki is a senior reporter for Futurism, where he likes to cover AI, tech ethics, and medicine. He spends his extra time fencing and streaming games from Los Angeles, California.

### Author social links  
[Twitter](<https://x.com/danrobitzski>)