Izolo kuvele udaba kwabezindaba oluzoletha ulayini: He Jiankui, umcwaningi waseShayina, wayekwazile ukushintsha izakhi zofuzo ezinganeni ezisanda kuzalwa ukuze zibe njalo ukuzivikela egciwaneni le-HIV. Ukusabela kwamazwe ngamazwe akuzange kuthathe isikhathi eside ukufika futhi umphakathi wesayensi wavusa isiyaluyalu. Namuhla sifunde imininingwane emisha ngaleli cala elingundabuzekwayo: umseshi umisiwe esikhundleni sakhe enyuvesi kusukela ngoFebhuwari.
ISouth China University of Science and Technology eShenzhen ayizange inanaze ukukhipha isitatimende esisemthethweni ngemuva kokuqhuma kwamabhomu izolo. Kuyo uyaqinisekisa ukuthi uthisha UHe Jiankui umisiwe emsebenzini kanye neholo kusukela ngoFebhuwari 1 odlule nokuthi ukufakwa kwakhe esikhungweni akuhlelelwe kuze kube uJanuwari 2021. Nokho, akucaci izizathu eziqondile zalokhu kumiswa ekuqaleni konyaka futhi uma kuhlobene nezinhloso zakhe zokuhlola imibungu eguquliwe. (sicabanga kanjalo).
Njengoba cishe uyazi, u-He Jiankui usedume ngobusuku obubodwa ngokukwazi shintsha izakhi zofuzo zeminye imibungu okuholele ekuzalweni kwamawele amantombazane, uLulu noNana, avikelekile egciwaneni le-HIV elibangela ingculaza, noma yini efanayo: ukwakhiwa kwe kuqala izingane ezishintshwe izakhi zofuzo yomlando wethu.
Ukwenza lokhu, umcwaningi ngabe usebenzise ithuluzi le-CRISPR, elivumela ukuhlelwa kwe-DNA ngokwethula izakhi zofuzo ezintsha noma ukususwa kwabanye. Esimeni esiqondile salezi zingane, okuthiwa sekwenziwe ukukhubaza isakhi sofuzo i-CCR5 -esibhekele igciwane lesandulela ngculaza elidlulela emangqamuzaneni - ukuze zikwazi ukumelana nokutheleleka.
Ukuhlolwa akuzange kuqinisekiswe noma nini noma kushicilelwe kunoma iyiphi ijenali yesayensi, kodwa umphakathi wesayensi uzimise ngokumelene ngokuphelele nale nqubo. Ukuguqulwa kwezakhi zofuzo kuleli zinga akukho emthethweni emazweni amaningi, kuhlanganise neShayina, lapho lolu cwaningo lubhekwa njengephule izimiso zokuziphatha kwe-biomedical, okwenza ukuhlola abantu ukuthi ayinazo iziqinisekiso ezivikelekile ezingu-100% futhi lokho kuzichaya ezingozini ezingaziwa namanje.
Yena Jiankui, ngakolunye uhlangothi, uzivikela ngokukhomba, ngokusho Associated Press, ukuthi umsebenzi wakhe wokuguqula izakhi zofuzo wawufuna kuphela vikela izingane ekuthelelekeni nge-HIV esikhathini esizayo, igciwane empeleni uyise wezidalwa unalo - umama akanalo igciwane. Le mibungu akuyona yodwa ebambe iqhaza kunqubo ye-Jiankui: eminye imibhangqwana eyisithupha bethola ukwelashwa kokuzala, lapho indoda nayo ine-HIV, amavolontiya azinikele ngokuzithandela kulokhu kulungiswa kwemibungu yawo.
Inkulumo-mpikiswano iphezu kwetafula. Kuze kube manje, ingxenye enkulu yomphakathi wesayensi ibilokhu ivumelana nokuhlelwa kwezakhi zofuzo noma nini lapho kufunwa ukwelapha nokwelapha izifo ezivele zikhona. Nokho, endabeni eyayikhona, izingane zazingenayo ingculaza; zishintshiwe ngokuthanda kwazo ukuze zingahlushwa yikho, eshintsha ingxenye yezakhi zawo zofuzo futhi azenze "zimelane futhi zibe namandla" kunabanye abantu. Imithelela yesenzo esinjalo cishe akunakwenzeka ukuyicabanga.