In the UK, a baby was born with DNA from three people. This is another such case both in the country and in the world. Can we expect a breakthrough in the history of medicine and research into the human genetic code?
The child was conceived thanks to in vitro. The doctors modified the fertilization procedure and applied modern mitochondrial donor therapy (MDT). What exactly is this technique? The genetic material from the biological parents of the child (mother and father) is enriched with the mitochondrial DNA of a third person - a foreigner. However, it is worth emphasizing that its amount is too small to talk about the relationship between the donor and the child born later.
Research into MDT, also known as mitochondrial replacement therapy, was started by doctors at the Fertility Center in Newcastle. Their actions led to a change in the current legislation in the country and amendments to the provisions on embryology. In 2015, the British Parliament, as the first legislature in the world, authorized the use of mitochondrial donor therapy in clinical practice.
MDT reduces the risk of inheriting mitochondrial diseases
However, the question arises: what is this method actually used for? Its main goal is to minimize the risk of mitochondrial diseases among children. Most children with genetic mutations in their mitochondria die in the womb or shortly after birth. Mitochondrial replacement therapy replaces ‘defective’ genetic material with ‘healthy’and thereby significantly reduces the above risk and gives many women the chance to give birth to healthy offspring.
However, it should be emphasized that the number of children born due to the MDT method is still too small to confirm the effectiveness and safety of the described procedure. Only long-term observation of the babies will allow us to draw conclusions. It is also very important that the described technology is used consciously and sustainably. It is necessary to clearly regulate the issues related to the application of the entire procedure in order to reduce the opportunities for possible abuse.
Source: Wprost
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