According to a new study, scientists can now prevent children being born with various genetic disorders by creating three-parent babies. Researchers in Britain used this technique to assist several families in having eight healthy children, despite a familial history of fatal inherited disorders. These children currently range in age from under six months to older than 2 years. The group comprises four girls and four boys, including a set of identical twins. According to the researchers, the children will need to be monitored for a longer period to confirm how effective and safe the technique is. However, the results are being regarded as an important breakthrough that will enable more families to produce healthy offspring.
The Study on Three-Parent Families
Inherited mitochondrial diseases can often have a tragic and devastating effect on families. This is why this current research is such an exciting medical advancement for so many doctors and families. According to one of the professors involved in the team, Doug Turnbull, “This is an important breakthrough – a big step forward.” However, not everyone is as enthusiastic about this technique. They have voiced their concerns over potential risks in addition to the manipulation of genes for creating “designer babies”.
This is because these types of genetic changes could be passed down for generations to come. That means that any mistakes may potentially produce deleterious mutations into our gene pool. According to a professor of cell biology and anatomy at the New York Medical College, Stuart Newman, “It’s biologically dangerous”. He went on to add “And then it’s dangerous culturally because it’s the beginning of biological manipulation that won’t just end with preventing certain diseases, but will blossom into a full-fledged eugenics program where genes will be manipulated to make designer babies.”
At the moment, existing regulations in the United States prevent this technique from being used to produce offspring. However, in 2016 a doctor from New York reportedly produced a three-parent baby for a family who reside in Mexico. Additionally, Australia has legalized the use of this treatment, while doctors in places such as Ukraine and Greece have tried to help infertile women have babies. However, it is still not known if the technique will work for that purpose.
Mitochondrial Donation
Mitochondrial disorders can lead to serious health issues such as heart failure, paralysis, strokes, brain damage, and blindness. These disorders result from mitochondrial DNA defects, and children born with them typically live painful and short lives. The technique explored by the British research team is sometimes referred to as “mitochondrial donation”. This technique involves the removal of genes from a fertilized egg’s nucleus of a couple wishing to have a healthy baby. These genes comprise most of the egg’s genetic material and determine most of an individual’s traits, including their physical appearance.
All of the defective mitochondrial DNA, however, is left out. These genes are then injected into a healthy woman’s fertilized egg, a process known as pronuclear transfer. The embryo develops with healthy mitochondria from the donor and can later be implanted into the womb of the mother. This results in a baby that has all the DNA that determines traits from the original couple, with a bit of mitochondrial DNA from the donor. This is where the term “three-parent baby” arises from.
Encouraging Results
The eight babies were born to seven women who could potentially have transmitted DNA mutations to their children. According to the results of the study, these mutations were either present at levels that would typically not cause the disease to develop or were completely undetectable. Currently, all of these children are reportedly doing well and are meeting their developmental milestones. However, many critics worry about the potential risks that are not yet apparent. One such critic is Dr. Baylis from Dalhousie University, who warned that, “There are risks to the women who are going to be receiving the embryo, and there are risks to the women who are the donors of the eggs that will be providing the mitochondria. We don’t know the future.”
She also feels that too much importance is placed on genes when other options are available to mothers with mitochondrial disorder, such as adoption. Yet, despite these concerns, the study’s researchers have argued that these technologies are strictly regulated in countries such as Britain. While some fear that this is simply a slippery slope towards designer babies, others say that this is totally different, as the goal is to eliminate dangerous diseases. It only makes sense that a couple would want their baby to be free of any disorders that could affect their quality of life. While the results are encouraging, follow-up monitoring and further research are still required.
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