---
title: "Russian Biologist Pledges to Create More CRISPR-Edited Babies"
description: "Russian biologist Denis Rebrikov told Nature that he's planning to use CRISPR to edit more human embryos — and bring them to term — as soon as late 2019."
date: "2019-06-10"
modified: "2019-06-10"
authors:
  - name: "Jon Christian"
    job_title: "Executive Editor"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/jonc"
url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/russian-biologist-more-crispr-edited-babies"
categories:
  - "Health & Medicine"
  - "Prosthetics and Devices"
tags:
  - "CRISPR"
  - "gene-editing"
  - "HIV"
  - "the digest"
---

# Russian Biologist Pledges to Create More CRISPR-Edited Babies

![Russian biologist Denis Rebrikov told Nature that he's planning to use CRISPR to edit more human embryos — and bring them to term — as soon as late 2019.](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/russian-biologist-pledges-to-create-more-crispr-edited-babies.png>)
*\<em\>Image: Shutterstock/Victor Tangermann\</em\>*

## Enhanced Humans

When news broke that Chinese researcher He Jiankui had used CRISPR to [gene-edit a pair of human babies](<https://futurism.com/chinese-researchers-gene-edited-human-embryos-hiv-crispr>), researchers across the world [expressed shock](<https://futurism.com/neoscope/scientists-condemn-crispr-baby-experiment>) and [called for a moratorium](<https://futurism.com/crispr-experts-global-moratorium-human-gene-editing>) on similar experiments.

But that's not stopping Russian biologist Denis Rebrikov, who [told *Nature*](<https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-01770-x>) that he's planning to edit more human embryos — and bring them to term — as soon as late 2019.

“I think I’m crazy enough to do it," he told *Nature*.

## Risky Research

Rebrikov plans to target CCR5, the same gene as He, which could theoretically make the babies immune to HIV. But experts say the risks and unknowns — including the possibility of [premature death](<https://futurism.com/neoscope/gene-edited-babies-die-young>) — vastly outweigh any potential benefits.

"The technology is not ready," CRISPR-Cas9 co-inventor Jennifer Doudna told *Nature* of Rebrikov's plans. "It is not surprising, but it is very disappointing and unsettling."

"It is irresponsible to proceed with this protocol at this time," bioethicist Alta Charo, a member of the World Health Organization committee that oversees human gene editing, added.

**READ MORE:** [Russian biologist plans more CRISPR-edited babies](<https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-01770-x>) \[*Nature*\]

**More on gene-edited babies:** *[Chinese Scientists Claim to Have Gene-Edited Human Babies For the First Time](<https://futurism.com/chinese-researchers-gene-edited-human-embryos-hiv-crispr>)*

## Author
I'm responsible for editing, assigning, and scouting at Futurism, as well as occasionally writing for the site. That work involves keeping an eye on a wide range of narratives and issues, but over the past few years I've become increasingly interested in how AI is shaping the future of media, the web, and information itself. My day-to-day often involves collaborating on reporting and commentary projects bylined by my colleagues, but I try to find time to do my own reporting as well; stories I've broken for Futurism have been cited by publications including the New York Times, the Washington Post, the New Yorker, Wired, Ars Technica, New York Magazine, the Columbia Journalism Review, Bloomberg, and more. I grew up in Southern Vermont and attended Vanderbilt University. Prior to Futurism, I contributed to outlets including the Boston Globe, Vice, Wired, Slate, the Atlantic, the Outline, Ars Technica and more, and did stints in farming and food service. I currently live in Brooklyn, New York, and in my free time I enjoy pinball, word games, cycling, running, and music production.

### Author social links  
[Bluesky](<https://bsky.app/profile/jonchristian.net>)