By Brett O’Keefe, Associated Civic News Bureau, Columbus, Ohio
COLUMBUS, Ohio — A 17-year-old Ohio high school student is hospitalized with organ failure after attempting to use homemade gene-editing equipment he assembled from online instructions in an effort to dramatically alter his appearance, authorities said.
According to investigators and medical officials, the teen downloaded plans for a do-it-yourself CRISPR device from an online forum and believed he could use it to “looksmaxx,” a term used in certain online communities that refers to aggressively optimizing physical appearance.
The attempt went badly wrong. Doctors say the teenager developed severe complications after producing what authorities described as an unregulated steroid-like compound. He remains hospitalized and is undergoing treatment for liver and kidney failure.
Despite the medical crisis, officials say the case has drawn unexpected attention from online bodybuilding and fitness circles.
“People are contacting him asking how he did it,” said one law enforcement official familiar with the investigation, who was not authorized to speak publicly. “They’re focused on how quickly he gained muscle, not the fact that he nearly killed himself.”
Doctors confirmed the teen experienced rapid muscle growth in a short period before his condition deteriorated.
His mother said she had no idea what her son was attempting until after he was admitted to the hospital.
“He kept saying this word, ‘looksmaxxing,’ and I didn’t even know what it meant,” she said. “I had to look it up. I still can’t believe any of this is real.”
She described her son as socially isolated and said he had never had a girlfriend. She said he believed changing his appearance would transform his life.
“He thought it would turn him into what they call a ‘Chad,’” she said, referring to an internet slang term for a conventionally attractive, confident man. “I thought he was just lifting weights.”
Authorities said the equipment was built using common electronic components and online guides that downplayed the risks of amateur gene editing. Officials stressed that no legitimate safeguards were involved.
“This is extremely dangerous,” said Dr. Alan Pierce, a biomedical safety specialist consulted by state authorities. “CRISPR is not something you experiment with in a bedroom or garage. The fact that people are trying to build these devices from internet instructions should alarm everyone.”
State and federal officials are now investigating the online forum where the instructions were shared. Authorities said the forum appears to be hosted overseas, possibly in China, making enforcement difficult.
“We’re assessing what legal options exist,” said a spokesperson for the Ohio Attorney General’s office. “But these platforms often operate across jurisdictions, which complicates efforts to shut them down.”
Officials said the case highlights growing concerns about the accessibility of advanced biotechnology tools and the influence of online communities that promote extreme self-modification.
“This isn’t science fiction anymore,” Pierce said. “The tools are cheap, the instructions are out there, and the consequences can be catastrophic.”
The teen remains under medical supervision, and his family said they are focused on his recovery. Authorities urged parents to pay closer attention to the online spaces their children frequent and warned that experimenting with unregulated biotechnology carries life-threatening risks.
As the investigation continues, officials said they are particularly concerned by the online response.
“The scariest part,” one official said, “is that people see the muscle gain and ignore the organ failure.”
