《國家科學評論》開始徵集關於非人靈長類動物模型的公開討論

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今年以來，《國家科學評論》（National Science Review, NSR）陸續發表了3篇涉及非人靈長類動物基因編輯的研究論文。這些文章受到社會關注，並引發了倫理討論。近日，NSR在線發表社論文章，歡迎相關領域科學家向NSR「爭鳴」欄目投稿，就「非人靈長類動物模型」相關問題展開討論。以下為社論文章中文譯稿及英文原文。

今年以來，有三篇涉及舊世界猴基因編輯的研究論文[1-3]發表於《國家科學評論》（National Science Review, NSR）並受到廣泛關注。在單純科學議題之外，倫理考量也是此類研究不可分割的組成部分。由於發表評論者的知識、文化和宗教背景迥異，我們認為必須以全面和開放的態度在科學界中探討相關倫理問題。而僅以匿名方式批評研究者「魯莽」並非是從爭議中取得共識的合適途徑。

NSR設有「爭鳴」（Critique and Debate）欄目。該欄目接收對近期發表在高影響力期刊（包括本刊）的論文提出反對意見的投稿。NSR爭鳴欄目現公開徵集對「非人靈長類動物模型」展開討論的投稿，投稿可涉及基因編輯等具體問題。以下幾個議題特別值得關注與討論。

1) 在基礎和臨床研究，以及製藥行業中，猴類已經是廣泛使用的實驗動物。相關實驗室和企業已經制定了遵循嚴格倫理規範的實驗操作流程。因此，我們特別希望投稿者能對非人靈長類動物基因編輯這一具體操作的相關倫理問題進行批評和討論，可對「與其他現有實驗手段相比，基因編輯是否會產生更多（或更少）倫理問題？」等提出您的觀點。

2) 一個更廣泛的問題是，非人靈長類動物用於科學研究的倫理邊界在哪裡？如何界定何種實驗操作會給動物帶來無法接受的傷害？作為實驗可以進行的先決條件，該實驗應當能為人類帶來怎樣程度的收益？（也有人認為，在討論倫理問題時人類的收益並不重要，我們應當討論的是能為實驗動物本身帶來的收益。）舉例來講，這三篇NSR文章中的一篇[3]對人與非人靈長類動物之間的進化差異進行了研究，而要想探索人類幼態持續[4]的具體機制，對猴類進行基因編輯是目前僅有的研究方法。那麼，我們是否可以為了基礎科學探索而進行此類研究？還是只有明確該研究能夠改善人類健康時才能進行？

3) 在倫理討論中，認知能力和情感水平的進化程度是重要因素。我們是否應當以自我認知和移情能力的進化水平為標準，將研究結論推廣到嚴格分類學體系中與研究對象處於相同分類等級的所有分類群中？又能否將結論從較低分類等級推廣到更高分類等級中？舉例來講，我們能否將舊世界猴研究得到的結論推廣到包括新世界狨猴在內的所有猴類中去？

4) 正如作者之一在接受採訪時曾說，類似研究經常被模糊地表述為「中國科學家成果」。甚至有人有意無意地將NSR發表的這3篇論文與備受指責的人類胚胎基因編輯事件聯繫起來。NSR願意直面此種文化敏感，也正因為這種文化敏感的存在，NSR誠摯歡迎相關領域科學家從文化、宗教、社會等各角度出發，對非人靈長類動物研究問題進行討論。

歡迎您將參與此次討論的稿件投稿至NSR編輯部。NSR編委會將會對投稿進行審定並決定是否錄用。錄用的稿件將按投稿順序在2019年內發表於NSR。

Invitation to an open debate on non-human primates for research purposes

In two separate issues this year, NSR published three research articles that described the use of old world monkeys in gene-editing experiments [1-3]. There has been substantial attention on these studies. Aside from the purely scientific issues, the ethical considerations are inherent in this type of research. Since the intellectual, cultural and religious bases of commentaries vary greatly, we believe that the research community has to confront the ethical issues in a comprehensive and open manner. Criticisms from anonymous sources charging the authors of being "reckless" are not the appropriate way to conduct the debate.

NSR has established a Critique and Debate category that accepts submissions of critiques that challenge recent publications in any reputable journal, including NSR itself. We now invite submissions that address the broad issues pertaining to research, gene editing in particular, on non-human primates. Several issues deserve careful examination.

(i) Monkeys are already used extensively by pharmaceutical companies and basic or clinical laboratories. They have developed protocols for which ethical codes are well defined. We are therefore soliciting critiques and comments specifically on the ethical issues associated with gene editing in non-human primates. For example, is gene editing ethically more (or less) problematic than that of current standards in the use of many animal model systems?

(ii) More generally, what might be the criteria for using monkeys in experiments? What should be considered unacceptable suffering by the animals? What level of benefits to humans should be a pre-requisite? (Alternatively, some could argue that there should be benefits to the animals themselves and benefits to humans are irrelevant in the ethical debate.) For example, Shiet al.[3] address a fundamental question about the evolution of humansvis-à-visother primates.Since the neotenic development in humans [4] can only be investigated through this type of experiment, is the pure intellectual pursuit justifiable for editing the genomes of monkeys? Can further health benefits to humans be pursued through such experiments?

(iii) In debating the ethical issue on the use of non-human primates, it is crucial to consider the evolution of cognitive capacity and mental state. If the evolution of a sense of individuality and empathy is a main criterion, do we apply the knowledge to all taxa of the same taxonomic rank in the strict cladistics sense? Can we apply findings from the lower taxonomic rank to a higher one? For example, can we extrapolate the knowledge on the old world monkeys to all monkeys, which would include the new world marmosets?

(iv) As one of the authors complain in an interview, there is veiled stereotyping that describes such research as "Chinese". There are even attempts to link the NSR publications to the recent much reviled practice of gene editing on human embryos. Despite (or because of) the cultural sensitivity, NSR welcomes explicit examinations of the cultural, religious and sociological dimensions of non-human primate research.

Manuscripts relevant to this debate should be submitted to the Editorial Office of NSR. The submitted manuscripts will be published after review by the editorial board in the order of the submission date in the coming NSR issues of 2019.

https://doi.org/10.1093/nsr/nwz062

參考文獻

1. Qiu P, Jiang J and Liu Z et al. BMAL1 knockout macaque monkeys display reduced sleep and psychiatric disorders. Natl Sci Rev 2019; 6(1): 87–100.

https://doi.org/10.1093/nsr/nwz002

2. Liu Z, Cai Y and Liao Z et al. Cloning of a gene-edited macaque monkey by somatic cell nuclear transfer. Natl Sci Rev 2019; 6(1):101–108.

https://doi.org/10.1093/nsr/nwz003

3. Shi L, Luo X and Jiang J et al. Transgenic rhesus monkeys carrying the human MCPH1 gene copies show human-like neoteny of brain development. Natl Sci Rev 2019. DOI: 10.1093/nsr/nwz043

https://doi.org/10.1093/nsr/nwz043

4. Wu C-I. After many a summer dies the swan. Natl Sci Rev 2019. DOI:10.1093/nsr/nwz046

https://doi.org/10.1093/nsr/nwz046

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