A child of three parents

method of in vitro fertilization, which uses the DNA of three people, will help prevent mitochondrial disease. Recently, the United Kingdom has taken new steps to become the first country in the world in which a child is born from three parents. The new method avoids the risk of mitochondrial diseases, but raises complex ethical voprosy.

A 6500 British children born with a mitochondrial disorder, which can lead to diseases of the heart, the liver, the respiratory system or muscular dystrophy. Mitochondrial diseases are transmitted from mother to child. In order to save the future of the child from such dangers, from the mother's egg is proposed to remove the mitochondrial DNA, replacing it with donor materialom.

Thus, the DNA of the future child will have genetic material from the father, the mother and the donor - it turns out that the child has three parents. However, the content of donor material in this case will be minimal, that is, all the characteristics are still are inherited from parents, but it does not remove the ethical issues that are raised in connection with the new method. Opponents fear that its introduction - a direct route to the production of "hybrid" children with unpredictable consequences for future generations. The UK government plans this year to conduct consultations and the next year to prepare a bill. At present, IVF can be used only unmodified egg.

Source: mixstuff.ru/archives/30788