Scientists
at the New York Stem Cell Foundation have been studying ways to alter
mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) in egg cells in hopes to cure diseases and
allow mothers to have their own babies. Mitochondrial
DNA is genetic material found in mitochondria, which are the
organelles that are responsible for producing energy for the rest of
the cell. Mitochondrial DNA is different from DNA found in nuclei
because it carries a unique set of genes and is always inherited from
the mother. Therefore, when there are defects in a mother’s mtDNA,
all of her children will also be affected. Unfortunately, defects
present in mtDNA often cause diseases that rarely have treatments. As
a result these mothers are advised to not have any children of their
own.
Dieter Egli, one of the scientists at the New York Stem Cell
Foundation, explains that these mothers can indeed have children if
scientists alter these women’s eggs. In the first step of this alteration, the DNA from the
mother is extracted from the egg, and then it is implanted into a
donor’s egg that contains healthy mtDNA. Then the egg that has the
mother’s DNA and donor’s mtDNA can be fertilized in the lab with
the father’s sperm to create a viable and unaffected embryo. This
embryo can then be implanted into the uterine lining of the mother to
produce a healthy baby. Researchers in Oregon have been successful in
producing healthy baby monkeys using the same technique.
However,
altering eggs is controversial because it could later lead to people
creating “designer babies” through genetic engineering. It must
also be remembered that changing an egg not only affects that one
possible child, but it also affects subsequent generations.
Reference: Stein, Rob. "Proposed Treatment To Fix Genetic Diseases Raises Ethical Issues." NPR. NPR, 9 Oct. 2013. Web. 10 Oct. 2013.
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