As you can see in the cut away view, mitochondria are a power plant inside the cell.
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According to a breakthrough study published on Wednesday, scientists can create a “three parent” baby and protect children with any destructive genetic disorders.
UK researchers use experimental skills to help families have eight children who look healthy. They are currently older than 6 months old and 2 years old.
Families are rare, but often have suffered for many generations due to fatal inheritance. Mitochondrial disorderAccording to two document Post New England Journal.
Researchers have to follow four boys and four girls longer, including the same twin sets, to confirm that this procedure is safe and effective, researchers said. However, the result is welcomed as a milestone to utilize the cutting -edge genetic technology so that more women can have a healthy baby.
“Mitochondrial disease can be fatal to the family. It can be tragic.” DOUG TurnbullNeuroscience professor, a member of the team of Newcastle University, has been developing technology for more than 10 years. “This is an important breakthrough. It’s a big development.”
This study throws a lot of family, doctors and other scientists.
“I think this is a breakthrough development. It’s a pioneering work.” Dietrich heDeputy professor of developmental cell biology at Columbia University is advocating to release federal restrictions on US -like research.
Worry about the danger is the hope of taste.
But some critics question the approach. They are worried about the danger, and whether the approach will open a door to manipulate the genes to create a “designer baby” one day by using genetic technology. In addition, such genetic changes can be delivered over the generation. Thus, mistakes can cause harmful mutations in human gene pools, they say.
“It’s dangerous,” he said Stewart NewmanCell biology and anatomy professor of New York Medical School. “It is biologically dangerous, and it is culturally dangerous because it does not end with a certain disease, but the beginning of biological manipulation.
Currently, US regulations will prevent the use of procedures to produce children in this country. But New York’s doctor said he created three parents for the Jordan family in Mexico in 2016.. australia Legalization Itea. And the doctor of another country Greece And Ukraine used this technology to help infertile women to have a baby.
“I think that when I take this material and pursue a perfect baby, I think it’s appropriate to think about what someone thinks.” Francois BaylisA prominent research professor at Dalhousie University, Canada Emerita.
A defective cell powerhouse
Mitochondrial disorders can cause serious health problems, including paralysis, heart failure, brain damage, stroke and blindness. Born as one of these disabilities, children often live short and painful lives. Disorders are caused by defects in mitochondrial DNA. Genetic materials are a blueprint for mitochondria, which provides energy to cells. This DNA is delivered only to the child from the mother.
The modifications tested by British scientists are sometimes called.Mitochondrial donation.
Genes of egg nuclei are injected into the modified eggs of healthy women who removed all DNA, except for the donor’s healthy mitochondrial DNA. This is called nuclear delivery. As a result, embryos can be developed with a healthy donor mitochondria and later transplanted into the women’s uterus who wants a healthy and entirely -related baby.
As a result, the baby has all DNAs in charge of the main characteristics of the two parents who try to give birth to a healthy baby with a small amount of mitochondrial DNA that donated eggs. Therefore, sometimes they are sometimes called “three parents” babies.
Initial results are encouraging
In a new study, the baby was born to seven women with a high risk of transmitting mitochondrial DNA mutations that cause serious diseases. Their mother’s disease -induced mitochondrial DNA mutations were unable to detect or existed at a level that could not cause disease, researchers reported.
“A child with one of these conditions can suffer a lot and suffer all kinds of problems and die. It is terrible to watch her children die slowly with bad things.” Robin Lobel-BadDevelopmental biologist of the Francis CRICK Institute in London editorial With a paper. “Therefore, for women who are at risk of children with serious mitochondrial diseases, this provides an option to have children without pain. It is very encouraging.”
Turnbull at Newcastle University said, “All children continue to meet healthy and developmental milestones.
Baylis and others of Dalhouse University are worried about the risks that are not yet obvious. I am worried about women who have a baby, a baby with a baby, and women who donate eggs such as dangerous hyperstimulation.
Baylis said, “There is a risk to women who will receive embryos and women who donate eggs to provide mitochondria.” We do not know the future. “
She is also worried about what the couple considers the necessary needs if only children with her genes are too important.
“What you are looking at is, ‘My genes are very worth. My genes are the only genes worth reproducing.’ Baylis says.
Women who are at risk of having children with mitochondrial disorders have other options, including adoption, she claimed.
Turnbull recognizes that research is relatively early and requires additional subsequent research and monitoring. “The result so far is very encouraging,” he said.
Turnbull argues that reproductive technology is highly regulated in the UK and many other countries. “I think the system has enough check and balance in the system so that the designer is not slippery.”
Others emphasize that this technology is different from gene editing technologies such as CRISPR, which raised fear of designer babies.
LOVELL-BADGE says, “This is completely different.” This uses a method of avoiding serious diseases. If you are interested in people’s health, if you want to have children’s entirely related children, I have no reason why you should not accept this method. “
