'China’s Frankenstein' He Jiankui returns with plans to create hundreds of gene-edited babies

BEIJING — The Chinese scientist who served prison time for creating the world’s first gene-edited babies has resurfaced with a new proposal to use the controversial technology to prevent Alzheimer’s disease.

He Jiankui, who was released in 2022, has established an independent laboratory in Beijing. He recently claimed that the three girls he genetically modified in 2018 to be resistant to HIV are healthy and currently attending primary school.

In a recent interview, He declared that it is time to "move toward hundreds of gene-edited babies." On social media, the scientist has referred to himself as "China’s Darwin" and "China’s Oppenheimer."

His new objective involves inserting a rare Icelandic genetic mutation into human embryos. He claims this specific mutation can help the brain resist Alzheimer’s disease.

The Chinese government banned gene editing for reproductive purposes and sentenced He to three years in prison following his 2018 experiments. Despite the previous legal action and global backlash, He continues to publicly promote his vision for the future of human genetic engineering.

He Jiankui’s re-emergence on the global stage is more than a controversial comeback; it is a direct challenge to an ethical debate the scientific community has yet to resolve. By framing himself as a pioneer in the vein of the Wright brothers, He signals an ambition that views established international guardrails not as essential protections, but as hurdles to be cleared in the pursuit of "innovation."

The shift in his research focus toward Alzheimer’s disease represents a calculated strategic pivot. Unlike his previous work on HIV, Alzheimer’s is a pervasive, degenerative condition for which there is no current cure, making it a powerful vehicle for public empathy. By positioning his work as a crusade against a feared disease, He is attempting a wholesale brand rehabilitation—transitioning from a rogue actor into a humanitarian visionary to secure the funding and political capital that were previously denied to him.

However, his proposal to produce "hundreds of gene-edited babies" represents a chilling escalation in scope. This moves the discourse from a singular, widely condemned experiment to a proposal for mass application, carrying profound and irreversible consequences for the human germline.

This development raises a fundamental question of oversight. While Beijing maintains formal prohibitions on such practices, He’s ability to establish new laboratories and openly solicit investors suggests a significant disconnect between central policy and local enforcement. This regulatory vacuum does more than just allow one scientist to operate; it risks sparking an unmonitored biological arms race where scientific prestige is prioritized over the genetic integrity of future generations.