According to this article, the technology to contribute 3 different parent's DNA into an embryo now exists. The male parent and one of the female parents would contribute the 98% of DNA in the cell nucleus, while the other female parent would provide the 2% of Mitochondrial DNA. This 2% of mitochondrial DNA is important because it is passed on exclusively by the mother in normal births and a number of females carry DNA mutations in their mitochondria which could lead to serious health risks. The goal of the researchers is to create healthy donor eggs that have mutation-free mitochondrial DNA that the other two parents can then fertilize without worrying about complications. There are currently 2 methods being tested to make this goal a reality, maternal spindle transfer and pronuclear transfer. Pronuclear transfer has the egg being fertilized by the male sperm and then removed and placed in an emptied nucleus. Both of these techniques are currently either illegal or considered unsafe, but the researchers are still making huge strides every day through further testing. In a couple of years the first three-parent children will almost certainly be born.
I think the most difficult part of this process will be the legal process. Overcoming peoples' ethics and moral boundaries will be hard. It will also be difficult finding adeuquate volunteers. I imagine many people would not feel comfortable being involved.
ReplyDeleteI agree i do not think this will sound very appealing to the public nor do I agree with the procedure, although I can understand why it is important to have this 2% mitochondrial DNA from a third partner if the intended outcome is a healthy child.
ReplyDeleteI agree i do not think this will sound very appealing to the public nor do I agree with the procedure, although I can understand why it is important to have this 2% mitochondrial DNA from a third partner if the intended outcome is a healthy child.
ReplyDeleteThis is something that i think that the public will not be interested in. This is because the public will not be used to babies that have 3 parents. It is push ethnic and moral boundaries and probably will have a bunch of people against this idea. Unless there is a great demand for children to have 3 parents, i see this as a nightmare in the courtroom.
ReplyDelete3 parents! this definitely wasn't very appealing to me. I also agree with freedmaa, as long as the child is healthy. I know if religious organization got a hold of this article they would have field of protesting and concern of it ethical and moral issues
ReplyDeleteI think this is completely immoral and can never imagine a three-parent child being born because I don't think most of the country would let it happen. Aside from religious groups that would have a field day arguing against something like this, think of all the legal complications that would have to be dealt with due to a totally unprecedented three-parent child.
ReplyDeleteThe American Journal of Physiology has published the results of a study in which participants were allowed to eat high protein foods, while a second study group was given supplements equal to the recommended daily allowance. Surprisingly, the group that ate protein was the ones that lost the most weight.
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