美国国家公共电台 NPR Exclusive: Inside The Lab Where Scientists Are Editing DNA In Human Embryos

 

AILSA CHANG, HOST:

Scientists recently made headlines when they announced they had figured out how to edit DNA¹ in human embryos³ for the first time. This week, the scientists invited NPR health correspondent Rob Stein into their lab in Portland, Ore., to watch them edit the genes⁵ of these human embryos. He is the first journalist to do this. And I am so glad he's in the studio right now because I cannot wait to hear more about this. Hey, Rob.

ROB STEIN, BYLINE⁶: Oh, hey, Ailsa.

CHANG: So you got the first invite as a reporter to watch them do this. What was that like?

STEIN: Yeah, Ailsa. It was fascinating. I mean, scientists are doing things that have simply never been done before. And this is some of the coolest but also some of the most controversial research going on in the world today. And the reason is is they're making changes in human DNA that can be passed down for generations. So they...

CHANG: It's literally⁷ made hereditary⁸.

STEIN: That's right. Every generation to come could inherit whatever changes they make in the DNA.

CHANG: Wow.

STEIN: And what they did is they let me watch every step of the process. They let me watch as they created embryos in their lab specifically with genetic⁹ mutations so they can then go ahead and fix the mutations and make the embryos healthy.

CHANG: Wait, so how exactly do you edit the DNA in an embryo²?

STEIN: Well, it all starts with human eggs, which the researchers get from women who donate them for their experiments. And so I started my day at a big glass building at the Oregon Health and Science University...

AMY KOSKI: We're on the 13th floor.

STEIN: ...In a lab with Amy Koski. She's the lab manager. And she just got a call from a fertility clinic three floors downstairs.

KOSKI: I've been instructed from the fertility clinic that they have an egg that we're ready to go pick up. Should we just go do this thing?

STEIN: Great. Let's go.

KOSKI: OK.

STEIN: She grabs a metal box that looks sort of like a lunchbox and we head for the elevator.

COMPUTER-GENERATED VOICE: Going down.

KOSKI: This is our portable incubator which keeps the eggs warm while we're moving up and down the elevators.

COMPUTER-GENERATED VOICE: Tenth floor.

STEIN: We rush to the clinic. Doctors there are removing eggs from a woman going through IVF to try to have a baby.

KOSKI: You want to keep the eggs very happy and warm. And when you're jostling them or moving them, they get a little unhappy.

STEIN: When we get downstairs, a doctor in scrubs opens a big incubator to get what was collected just a few moments ago from the donor¹¹ in a nearby room and gently places a dish inside Koski's portable incubator.

KOSKI: Thank you.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: OK.

STEIN: And then we walk really slowly back to the elevators.

Does this make you nervous?

KOSKI: Every single time. By the time I get upstairs, I take a deep breath for the first time and I pause and think, oh, today, I didn't drop anything.

STEIN: Back upstairs, we head into a small, dark room.

KOSKI: And we're going to very carefully transfer from the traveling incubator into what we call our waffle makers¹², which are just benchtop incubators for embryos.

STEIN: Moments after the eggs are safely inside, the door opens again.

SHOUKHRAT MITALIPOV: Hello.

STEIN: Hi, how are you?

MITALIPOV: Good, thank you. Nice to meet you - Shoukhrat.

STEIN: It's Shoukhrat Mitalipov. He's a biologist born in the Soviet¹³ Union who runs the lab.

MITALIPOV: Good to have you. So this is our small room. But that's where usually lots of big science happen.

STEIN: Big science? What do you mean by that?

MITALIPOV: We believe this room is really magic in terms of science. And lots of big discoveries came in this room, particularly this microscope.

STEIN: He points to a big microscope where another scientist is positioning a petri dish. She flicks¹⁴ on a light that makes it glow in the dark. Everything she's doing is projected onto a computer screen.

MITALIPOV: She's loading now eggs. You see? That's a human egg.

STEIN: That's a human egg?

MITALIPOV: Yep, yep. That's a mature human egg. And you can see it's moving - so actually, two of them there. See?

STEIN: So that's two healthy human eggs?

MITALIPOV: Right.

STEIN: They look like round, shimmering¹⁵, silvery blobs. Suddenly, a bunch of tiny ovals flit across the screen.

MITALIPOV: These are sperm¹⁶. You see? Floating sperm - and they twitching¹⁷.

STEIN: Oh, yeah. They're like - have a little tails and, like, swimming.

MITALIPOV: Yeah, yeah. So yeah, that's how we know that sperm is feeling well and it's swimming.

STEIN: But these aren't just any sperm. They're carrying a genetic mutation¹⁰ that causes a potentially fatal heart condition. The scientists are fertilizing¹⁸ the eggs to create embryos that carry this mutation to see if they can fix them. A long, thin, pointy glass rod appears on the screen.

MITALIPOV: Can you see this pipette - tiny pipette?

STEIN: A pipette is like a needle?

MITALIPOV: Yep. It's a microscopic¹⁹ needle.

STEIN: So she's sucking some of the sperm into the hollow glass needle, the pipette?

MITALIPOV: Right.

STEIN: Then she draws something else into the pipette with the sperm. It's a microscopic gene⁴ editing tool that lets scientists make very precise changes in DNA. It can zero in on the genetic mutation and literally cut it out, creating a healthy embryo.

MITALIPOV: And now she'll be shooting that sperm along with that DNA correction solution. And it's all done.

STEIN: That's it?

MITALIPOV: Yep (laughter).

STEIN: She just did it?

MITALIPOV: Yes.

STEIN: Wow.

MITALIPOV: Was it simple?

STEIN: Wow. She just shot it right in there.

MITALIPOV: Yep.

STEIN: Wow. That was amazingly fast.

MITALIPOV: This is how we do it (laughter).

STEIN: Mitalipov says this is how his team succeeded where others failed. They injected the mutant sperm and the DNA editor at the same time.

Basically, what we just saw you do was you fertilized²⁰ an egg and did kind of DNA surgery on it all the same time.

MITALIPOV: Exactly. So this is DNA surgery.

STEIN: They're not sure exactly how it works. But they think when the defective²¹ gene is cut out, this triggers the embryo to repair itself. Mitalipov says this procedure could wipe out a long list of diseases that have plagued families for generations.

MITALIPOV: The estimate is about 10,000 different mutations causing so many different conditions and diseases.

STEIN: Like Huntington's disease, cystic fibrosis - even, possibly, inherited forms of Alzheimer's and breast cancer.

MITALIPOV: And we're talking about million of people affected²².

STEIN: Now, this all may sound pretty great. But there are still lots of questions about it.

CHANG: Yeah, like what kinds of big questions?

STEIN: Well, first of all, Ailsa, there are some scientists that are still skeptical²³ that Mitalipov has really done what he says he's done. And this is pretty common in science. Whenever anybody makes a big discovery like this, nobody's really sure until somebody else is able to do it themselves. Another concern is that some scientists may kind of rush ahead with this and try to make a baby before anyone knows for sure that it works and it's safe.

CHANG: Even if it is safe, it's still really controversial, right?

STEIN: It's incredibly controversial. I mean, scientists, they could make some kind of mistake and create new diseases that would then be passed down for generations.

CHANG: Oh.

STEIN: And some critics say, look, these scientists are kind of playing God. They are doing things that could change the course of human evolution, lead to scary scenario²⁴ scenarios²⁵ like designer babies...

CHANG: Right.

STEIN: ...And genetically²⁶ enhanced people. And I asked Mitalipov about this. And this is what he said.

MITALIPOV: I don't think I'm playing God. We have intelligence to understand diseases, eliminate suffering. And that's what I think is the right thing to do.

CHANG: Wow. It's just so fascinating that you were on the front lines of genetics. Thank you so much for coming in and teaching us about this.

STEIN: My pleasure.

CHANG: That's NPR health correspondent Rob Stein.

1 DNA   

(缩)deoxyribonucleic acid 脱氧核糖核酸

参考例句：

• DNA is stored in the nucleus of a cell.脱氧核糖核酸储存于细胞的细胞核里。
• Gene mutations are alterations in the DNA code.基因突变是指DNA密码的改变。

2 embryo   

n.胚胎，萌芽的事物

参考例句：

• They are engaging in an embryo research.他们正在进行一项胚胎研究。
• The project was barely in embryo.该计划只是个雏形。

3 embryos   

n.晶胚；胚，胚胎( embryo的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Somatic cells of angiosperms enter a regenerative phase and behave like embryos. 被子植物体细胞进入一个生殖阶段，而且其行为象胚。 来自辞典例句
• Evolution can explain why human embryos look like gilled fishes. 进化论能够解释为什么人类的胚胎看起来象除去了内脏的鱼一样。 来自辞典例句

4 gene   

n.遗传因子，基因

参考例句：

• A single gene may have many effects.单一基因可能具有很多种效应。
• The targeting of gene therapy has been paid close attention.其中基因治疗的靶向性是值得密切关注的问题之一。

5 genes   

n.基因( gene的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• You have good genes from your parents, so you should live a long time. 你从父母那儿获得优良的基因，所以能够活得很长。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Differences will help to reveal the functions of the genes. 它们间的差异将会帮助我们揭开基因多种功能。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 生物技术的世纪

6 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

7 literally   

adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实

参考例句：

• He translated the passage literally.他逐字逐句地翻译这段文字。
• Sometimes she would not sit down till she was literally faint.有时候，她不走到真正要昏厥了，决不肯坐下来。

8 hereditary   

adj.遗传的，遗传性的，可继承的，世袭的

参考例句：

• The Queen of England is a hereditary ruler.英国女王是世袭的统治者。
• In men,hair loss is hereditary.男性脱发属于遗传。

9 genetic   

adj.遗传的，遗传学的

参考例句：

• It's very difficult to treat genetic diseases.遗传性疾病治疗起来很困难。
• Each daughter cell can receive a full complement of the genetic information.每个子细胞可以收到遗传信息的一个完全补偿物。

10 mutation   

n.变化，变异，转变

参考例句：

• People who have this mutation need less sleep than others.有这种突变的人需要的睡眠比其他人少。
• So far the discussion has centered entirely around mutation in the strict sense.到目前为止，严格来讲，讨论完全集中于围绕突变问题上。

11 donor   

n.捐献者；赠送人；(组织、器官等的)供体

参考例句：

• In these cases,the recipient usually takes care of the donor afterwards.在这类情况下，接受捐献者以后通常会照顾捐赠者。
• The Doctor transplanted the donor's heart to Mike's chest cavity.医生将捐赠者的心脏移植进麦克的胸腔。

12 makers   

n.制造者，制造商（maker的复数形式）

参考例句：

• The makers of the product assured us that there had been no sacrifice of quality. 这一产品的制造商向我们保证说他们没有牺牲质量。
• The makers are about to launch out a new product. 制造商们马上要生产一种新产品。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 Soviet   

adj.苏联的，苏维埃的；n.苏维埃

参考例句：

• Zhukov was a marshal of the former Soviet Union.朱可夫是前苏联的一位元帅。
• Germany began to attack the Soviet Union in 1941.德国在1941年开始进攻苏联。

14 flicks   

（尤指用手指或手快速地）轻击( flick的第三人称单数 )； （用…）轻挥； （快速地）按开关； 向…笑了一下（或瞥了一眼等）

参考例句：

• 'I shall see it on the flicks, I suppose.' “电影上总归看得见。” 来自英汉文学
• Last night to the flicks. 昨晚看了场电影。 来自英汉文学

15 shimmering   

v.闪闪发光，发微光( shimmer的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The sea was shimmering in the sunlight. 阳光下海水波光闪烁。
• The colours are delicate and shimmering. 这些颜色柔和且闪烁微光。 来自辞典例句

16 sperm   

n.精子，精液

参考例句：

• Only one sperm fertilises an egg.只有一个精子使卵子受精。
• In human reproduction,one female egg is usually fertilized by one sperm.在人体生殖过程中，一个精子使一个卵子受精。

17 twitching   

n.颤搐

参考例句：

• The child in a spasm kept twitching his arms and legs. 那个害痉挛的孩子四肢不断地抽搐。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• My eyelids keep twitching all the time. 我眼皮老是跳。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

18 fertilizing   

v.施肥( fertilize的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Sometimes the preliminary step must be taken of reducing weed population before fertilizing. 有时候，在施肥之前，必须采取减少杂草密度的预备性步骤。 来自辞典例句
• The self fertilizing garden can also be planted in raised beds. 自我施肥的菜园也可以在苗圃床中种植。 来自互联网

19 microscopic   

adj.微小的，细微的，极小的，显微的

参考例句：

• It's impossible to read his microscopic handwriting.不可能看清他那极小的书写字迹。
• A plant's lungs are the microscopic pores in its leaves.植物的肺就是其叶片上微细的气孔。

20 Fertilized   

v.施肥( fertilize的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The study of psychology has recently been widely cross-fertilized by new discoveries in genetics. 心理学研究最近从遗传学的新发现中受益匪浅。
• Flowers are often fertilized by bees as they gather nectar. 花常在蜜蜂采蜜时受粉。

21 defective   

adj.有毛病的，有问题的，有瑕疵的

参考例句：

• The firm had received bad publicity over a defective product. 该公司因为一件次品而受到媒体攻击。
• If the goods prove defective, the customer has the right to compensation. 如果货品证明有缺陷， 顾客有权索赔。

22 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

23 skeptical   

adj.怀疑的，多疑的

参考例句：

• Others here are more skeptical about the chances for justice being done.这里的其他人更为怀疑正义能否得到伸张。
• Her look was skeptical and resigned.她的表情是将信将疑而又无可奈何。

24 scenario   

n.剧本，脚本；概要

参考例句：

• But the birth scenario is not completely accurate.然而分娩脚本并非完全准确的。
• This is a totally different scenario.这是完全不同的剧本。

25 scenarios   

n.[意]情节；剧本；事态；脚本

参考例句：

• Further, graphite cores may be safer than non-graphite cores under some accident scenarios. 再者，根据一些事故解说，石墨堆芯可比非石墨堆芯更安全一些。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法
• Again, scenarios should make it clear which modes are acceptable to users in various contexts. 同样，我们可以运用场景剧本来搞清楚在不同情境下哪些模式可被用户接受。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓

26 genetically   

adv.遗传上

参考例句：

• All the bees in the colony are genetically related. 同一群体的蜜蜂都有亲缘关系。
• Genetically modified foods have already arrived on American dinner tables. 经基因改造加工过的食物已端上了美国人的餐桌。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 基因与食物