Three-parent IVF, legal in the UK for preventing mitochondrial diseases. This procedure combines parental DNA with a donor's healthy mitochondrial DNA (only 0.2%), aiming for disease-free biological children. Despite its potential, US FDA negotiations are stalled due to ethical concerns, particularly surrounding "designer babies," making its future uncertain. For UPSC GS III
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Researchers have announced the birth of eight healthy babies in the UK using vitro fertilization (IVF) technique involving DNA from three people
It is a reproductive technique that allows individuals with mitochondrial diseases to avoid passing these conditions to their children.
During this procedure, specialists combine genetic material from three people: the intended mother, the intended father, and an egg donor.
Extract Nucleus => Remove the nucleus, which contains the majority of the genetic material, from the intended mother's egg.
Prepare Donor Egg => Remove the nucleus from a healthy egg donated by another woman, leaving behind its healthy mitochondria.
Transfer Nucleus => Intended mother's nucleus is then inserted into the donor egg.
Fertilization => Egg fertilized with the intended father's sperm.
Embryo Transfer => Resulting embryo, containing nuclear DNA from both parents and healthy mitochondrial DNA from the donor, is transferred into the intended mother's uterus.
Where did Three-Parent IVF Become Legal?
In 2017, the United Kingdom by legalizing three-parent IVF, became the first country to formally introduce laws to guide the use of this procedure. First live births reported in 2023.
Australia legalised mitochondrial donation in 2022.
Currently, the United Kingdom and Australia remain the only two countries that have officially authorized mitochondrial donation for preventing mitochondrial disorders.
Mitochondria, called the "power plants" of cells, produce the energy essential for normal growth and development.
When these mitochondria possess mutations or function defectively, they can cause a range of genetic disorders in children, including muscle weakness, seizures, developmental delays, and major organ failure.
Critics label the procedure as creating "designer babies," expressing fears that it could open the door to further genetic manipulation of human embryos for non-medical reasons.
As the procedure involves altering heritable DNA, the potential long-term impacts on future generations remain largely unknown.
One common alternative is Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD), where fertility specialists screen embryos for known genetic abnormalities before they implant them in IVF treatment.
Another alternative is using a donor egg from a woman with healthy mitochondria, which would involve less of a genetic connection to the mother than three-parent IVF provides.
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Source: WASHINGTONFERTILIT
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PRACTICE QUESTION Q. Examine the ethical dilemmas associated with human gene editing. 150 words |
It aims to prevent the transmission of severe mitochondrial diseases from mother to child.
Critics raise ethical concerns about creating "designer babies" and potential DNA manipulation.
Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD) is an alternative used to screen embryos for genetic abnormalities before IVF transfer.
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