Create human embryos containing DNA from 2 women & 1 man

British scientists have created human embryos containing DNA from 2 women and 1 man, a potentially progressive process to prevent cases such as epilepsy, diabetes and heart failure. Although preliminary research raises concerns about the possibility of creating children with genetic structure changes, scientists say that human embryos can first be the result of a man. and a woman .

Patrick Chinnery, a professor of neuroscience at Newcastle University who participated in the study, said: 'We don't try to change genes, we just try to split a small portion of bad genes instead. Good genes. '

Mitochondria (Photo: nsf.gov)

This research process aims to avoid genetics of bad mitochondria (mitochondrial) genes usually outside the nucleus of the egg . Mitochondria are an energy source of eggs, but errors in their genetic code can cause serious illnesses such as epilepsy, stroke and disability.

In his study, Chinnery and colleagues used embryos that are often defective by a man and a woman with mitochondria in their eggs. They then implanted the embryo into an empty egg donated by a woman and of course this person has a healthy mitochondria.

Francoise Shenfield, a European Community reproductive expert on human fertility, said: 'The proportion of genes in mitochondria is extremely small.'

Human genes are in the mitochondria very little, so experts say it is not right to say that these embryos have up to 3 parents. Chinnery said: 'The majority of genes determine who your child is in and we don't approach it.'

Methods of implantation of mitochondrial transplantation

First scientists give sperm and egg coordination to couples by in vitro fertilization (IVF). Then, the human DNA (cell) of the fertilized egg is removed from the cell and implanted into another egg cell, whose nucleus has been previously separated. This egg cell is donated by a woman who does not have hereditary mitochondrial disease. So the nucleus of the fertilized egg cell remains in its original state, nothing changes. In that way, the embryo is created only between the father and the mother. It is for this reason that newborn babies later grow up, it has the same shape and characteristics as parents.(Deborah Smith (Science Editor), 'Three parents produce one embryo', The Sydney Morning Herald - Wednesday, February 6, 2008.)

According to experts' comments, mitochondrial transplantation will not affect or change the personality, characteristics and shape of the baby to its real parents .

This technique, currently, is only done in laboratories. Scientists using abnormal embryos are considered as surpluses from in vitro fertilization. After forming these embryos in the manner described above, scientists are only allowed to keep and study within 6 days, then destroy them.

The expert team at Newcastle University hopes that, with sophisticated and new mitochondrial grafting techniques tested on ten embryos, there are many positive prospects that they will eventually eliminate the disease. Genetic. Experts hope that within 3-5 years, they will be able to apply this treatment officially to patients.

(Photo: Courtesy of The Sydney Morning Herald)

A similar work has just been done on animals in Japan and healthy mice have been born after their genes in mitochondria are modified. Shenfield argues that future tests to verify the safety and effectiveness of the process are necessary before it becomes a potential treatment.

Currently, every one in 5,000 newborn babies is at risk. It gradually develops at different ages and often causes premature death, usually before the age of two.

The defect of the mitochondria such as the condition of the cassette player or the radio is out of battery, it needs to be replaced with a new battery. Or like a car that has run out of battery, need to replace a new one, then it will be able to resume normal operation. Pairing planes is like changing a new battery or replacing a new battery, which does not affect the shape or characteristics of the car. The nature of the cassette machine and the car remains intact, nothing changes.

However, some moralists seem to care and fear that these new inventions will facilitate and take scientists one step further in the future, that they can create them. babies follow the style they want (designer babies). - (Ben Hirschler, 'Two Mums Plus Dad Made This Embryo,' AFT / Reuters, Wednesday, 6 February 2008).

The priest - Dr. Joseph Parkinson, Director of the Bioethics Center at the Archdiocese of Perth, Western Australia, made the following statement: 'Science is always ahead of the ability of the social community to calculate. , especially moral issues, including the application of new techniques and treatments in medicine. This may cause confusion about awareness of parenthood, because a second woman has been included in the fund of the incident. '

Although it has been recommended from many angles, society (Western) we seem to have simply accepted the logic of modern reproductive techniques and the technology of fertilization by vitro, and the This new way, which is a sign of the continuation of the argument: 'If we have the ability to create babies in the laboratory, why don't we make perfect children (this is The superior method was tested by the German dictator Hitler during the Second World War. '

In fact, this logic is very attractive, hard to resist and science is quite seductive, however, it has evaded the moral dilemmas.

Dr. Tran Manh Hung
LJ Goody Bioethics Center in WA. AUSTRALIA.
phtran-ljgbc@iinet.net.au

Wisdom (According to Physorg)