UK moves toward making babies from DNA of 3 people

[webfact]

UK moves toward making babies from DNA of 3 people
By MARIA CHENG

LONDON (AP) — Britain moved Tuesday toward allowing scientists to create humans from the DNA of three people.

The technology aims to liberate future generations from inherited diseases, but critics say it crosses a fundamental scientific boundary and could lead to "designer babies."

The U.K.'s House of Commons voted 382-178 in favor of legislation to license these experiments. If approved in the House of Lords, Britain would become the world's first nation to allow genetic modifications in human embryos.

"This is a bold step to take, but it is a considered and informed step," Health Minister Jane Ellison told the Commons.

The technology is completely different from that used to create genetically modified foods, where scientists typically select individual genes to be transferred from one species into another. But critics say it crosses a red line, since changes made to embryos will be passed on to future generations, with the potential for unforeseen consequences.

While this legislation was drafted specifically to grant permission only for certain specified techniques, critics fear it will encourage scientists to push for other experiments in the future.

The protests are "about protecting children from the severe health risks of these unnecessary techniques and protecting everyone from the eugenic designer-baby future that will follow from this," said David King, director of the secular watchdog group Human Genetics Alert.

The technology altering a human egg or embryo before transferring it into a mother with defects in her mitochondria, the energy-producing structures outside a cell's nucleus. These genetic defects can result in diseases including muscular dystrophy, heart, kidney and liver failure and severe muscle weakness.

Scientists would remove the nucleus DNA from the egg of the prospective mother and insert it into a donor egg from which the nucleus DNA has been removed. The resulting embryo would have the nucleus DNA from its parents but the mitochondrial DNA from the donor. This can be done two ways — before or after fertilization — in the techniques approved by the Commons.

Scientists say more than 99 percent of the DNA in the resulting child would come from its parents, with a tiny fraction coming from the donor egg.

Britain's Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Sally Davies, said the law would give women with mitochondrial disease "the opportunity to have children without passing on devastating genetic disorders."

Britain has long been a leader in reproductive technology; the world's first baby from in vitro fertilization, Louise Brown, was born in the U.K. in 1978.

U.S. regulators are moving more slowly: Scientists at a U.S. Food and Drug Administration meeting on the techniques last year warned it could take decades to determine if they are safe. Meanwhile, experts say the techniques are likely being used elsewhere, such as in China and Japan, but are mostly unregulated.

"Scientists around the world...have raised many cautions about the risks to any children that might result from these techniques," said Marcy Darnovsky, who directs the Center for Genetics and Society, an American advocacy group. "We urge women who might consider undergoing this biologically extreme procedure to carefully investigate."

But Rachel Kean, whose mother is a carrier of mitochondrial disease, said the techniques offer hope to women who face a devastating dilemma of potentially passing on genetic defects. Kean's aunt suffered several miscarriages and stillbirths and was ultimately killed by the disease.

"Knowing that you could bring a child into this world for a short, painful life of suffering is not something I would want to do," said Kean, an activist for the Muscular Dystrophy campaign.

A spokesman for Prime Minister David Cameron said he was a "strong supporter" of the legislation. Cameron's severely disabled son, Ivan, died at age 6 in 2009 from a rare form of epilepsy.

No date has been set for debate in the House of Lords, but it is expected to be in the next few weeks. It would be unusual for it to reject legislation that has passed overwhelmingly in the Commons.

The techniques would likely be used about a dozen times a year in British women with faulty mitochondria. Each case would be closely scrutinized, and doctors would track the health of any children born as well as their future offspring, said Lisa Jardine, who chaired a review by Britain's fertility regulator.

"Every medical procedure ultimately carries a small risk," Jardine said, pointing out that the first in-vitro baby was the product of an experiment with unproven methods.

Kean understands the opposition: "It's everybody's prerogative to object, due to their own personal beliefs," she said. "But to me the most ethical option is stopping these devastating diseases from causing suffering in the future."
___

Associated Press Writer Jill Lawless contributed to this report.


-- (c) Associated Press 2015-02-04

[gerry123]

imagine a world of COSTARITES

[Suradit69]

The technology aims to liberate future generations from inherited diseases ...

Britain would become the world's first nation to allow genetic modifications in human embryos.

Is being British considered an inherited disease?

Edited February 4, 2015 by Suradit69

[fvw53]

...Frankenstein is coming

[Scott]

Genetically modified people are OK, but genetically modified crops are a no-no.

[Shiver]

First thought I had was that it would be for same sex marriages wanting children via a surrogate.

[goldmonky]

There are enough monsters on this earth,the idea may sound good but who knows the long term effects on the human race?

[Jonmarleesco]

'Rachel Kean said. "But to me the most ethical option is stopping these devastating diseases from causing suffering in the future."' Interfering with nature to such extremes is always an option. That doesn't translate into ethical.

[ABCer]

Kean understands the opposition: "It's everybody's prerogative to object, due to their own personal beliefs," she said. "But to me the most ethical option is stopping these devastating diseases from causing suffering in the future."

At what Costs?

[peterb17]

Sounds a good idea to me, children who suffer from diseases caused by defective mitochondria go through hell and rarely live beyond their teenage years.

Mitochondria are one of a suite of cellular structures- that are required for cells to function efficiently. They are found in all living things except bacteria.

They carry out two major biochemical pathways- the Kreb' s cycle and oxidative phosphorylation and release an energy rich molecule ATP- this is the source of energy for every function in the body.

In some ways mitochondria resemble bacteria living within your cells and uniquely contain some DNA which is necessary for them to function. It is thought that they were a primitive bacteria that invaded cells in the depths of time- still there.

The DNA in mitochondria has no effect on the phenotype or characteristics of a human or any other living organism.

You only inherit mitochondria and its DNA from your mother- because the female egg is a large living cell. Therefore to replace the faulty mitochondria from a third person poses no threat to create a " Frankenstein " monster.

Well done to Parliament- it could enable some families to have healthy kids.

[maidee]

just add a little monsanto, and in a few generations, people are sterile

[peterb17]

just add a little monsanto, and in a few generations, people are sterile

Did you bother to read my post?

However would agree about your sentiments concerning Monsanto.

[Robby nz]

Sounds a good idea to me, children who suffer from diseases caused by defective mitochondria go through hell and rarely live beyond their teenage years.

Mitochondria are one of a suite of cellular structures- that are required for cells to function efficiently. They are found in all living things except bacteria.

They carry out two major biochemical pathways- the Kreb' s cycle and oxidative phosphorylation and release an energy rich molecule ATP- this is the source of energy for every function in the body.

In some ways mitochondria resemble bacteria living within your cells and uniquely contain some DNA which is necessary for them to function. It is thought that they were a primitive bacteria that invaded cells in the depths of time- still there.

The DNA in mitochondria has no effect on the phenotype or characteristics of a human or any other living organism.

You only inherit mitochondria and its DNA from your mother- because the female egg is a large living cell. Therefore to replace the faulty mitochondria from a third person poses no threat to create a " Frankenstein " monster.

Well done to Parliament- it could enable some families to have healthy kids.

Someone who actually knows what they are posting about, a rarity on this site, good post.

[Chicog]

just add a little monsanto, and in a few generations, people are sterile

Did you bother to read my post?

However would agree about your sentiments concerning Monsanto.

You can be damned sure some company will be looking at how to make money out of licensing/patenting.

"We don't care if it's version 3.1, the source code is still ours".

[AnotherOneAmerican]

Or you could have mandatory DNA testing and forced sterilisation of those unfit to breed.

I'll have a true Aryan one with blond hair and blue eyes ...................

[peterb17]

Sounds a good idea to me, children who suffer from diseases caused by defective mitochondria go through hell and rarely live beyond their teenage years.

Mitochondria are one of a suite of cellular structures- that are required for cells to function efficiently. They are found in all living things except bacteria.

They carry out two major biochemical pathways- the Kreb' s cycle and oxidative phosphorylation and release an energy rich molecule ATP- this is the source of energy for every function in the body.

In some ways mitochondria resemble bacteria living within your cells and uniquely contain some DNA which is necessary for them to function. It is thought that they were a primitive bacteria that invaded cells in the depths of time- still there.

The DNA in mitochondria has no effect on the phenotype or characteristics of a human or any other living organism.

You only inherit mitochondria and its DNA from your mother- because the female egg is a large living cell. Therefore to replace the faulty mitochondria from a third person poses no threat to create a " Frankenstein " monster.

Well done to Parliament- it could enable some families to have healthy kids.

Someone who actually knows what they are posting about, a rarity on this site, good post.

Really appreciate your comment I lecturered in cellular molecular biology for many years. The quality of the press reports has been appalling on this subject and it's really refreshing that the Parliament has gone with the science ( against the wishes of the established church).

Thanks again

[VillageIdiot]

"How beauteous mankind is! O brave new world that has such people in't"