China’s CRISPR twins might have had their brains inadvertently enhanced

[extherian]

This article (click HERE) suggests that the changes made to China's CRISPR edited twins might inherit improved memory performance as a side effect of their HIV immunity. It might also potentially weaken their memory as well, so it's too early yet to say.

[Rynn]

You didn’t provide a link but given the title I’m betting it’s to a tabloid or some other terrible source. There’s barely any information about the babies public at the moment let alone any intensive geno/phenotypic studies that could possibly draw such conclusions. On top of that any such study would struggle to justify such a conclusion given n = 2 with a lack of controls for environment/culture.

[Rakuen07]

While it may not be the link you wanted to send, I found one about this issue: https://www.technologyreview.com/s/61299...s-altered/

[extherian]

Yeah, that was the one.

The headline is misleading, I admit. The gene in question, CCR5, seems to be correlated with memory in some way. The absense of an extra copy of this gene in the twins should have an impact on how their memory performs.

Existing studies of CCR5 have focused on its effects in mice, but according to the linked report, its absence in humans seems to correlate with how many years of schooling are completed.

[Achaz the Transavant]

I know that it's a little conspirationy, but if true I wonder if that was not true the true goal of the experiment.

The effects on health seem to be a mixed bag, but the gene having a positive effect on intelligence is a bit too much of a coincidence for me.