1. A three-parent embryo: a step to new bright possibility or defiance to solemn bioethics
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A three-parent embryo: a step to new bright possibility or defiance to solemn bioethics
Daeyeol Ye
One baby who gives rise to a debatable issue was born recently. The baby has three genetic parents: one father and two mothers. How is that possible? In 2015, British government approved in vitro fertilization to develop three-parent embryo for the first time in the world. Why did the government allow it and why have several scientists kept going on this research which finally succeeded the three-parent baby in 2016?
For the long time, many people have been suffered by hereditary diseases. Actually, in the past, they even did not know the exact reason why these sufferings came to them and died from them. It is recent time that these painful diseases are related in malfunction of several genes. But even though people have come to know the cause of the diseases, they could have not conquered these hereditary diseases properly until now. But, nowadays, various researches shed light on possibility of conquest of hereditary diseases. And this three-parent baby is one of hopeful steps for the patients.
Brief process of the birth of the three-parent baby is like below. According to the paper which shows the process briefly, a woman with mutation of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) to cause Leigh syndrome* had lost kids for several times because they were born with pathogenic mtDNA which causes Leigh syndrome. So, by using spindle nuclear transfer(SNT), the woman’s spindle nucleus was isolated and transferred to the donor’s enucleated oocyte. The reconstituted oocyte had the woman’s nucleus but normal mitochondria without mutation. After then, it was fertilized by intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI)*. Finally, after gestation, the baby without any mtDNA defect was born.
This case can be the good news for women who cannot have had their baby because of the lethal mtDNA mutation. Also, it provides more chance to cure mtDNA-related deadly diseases. But, there are also concerns that it can be the start of collapse of bioethics by being developed to planning designer baby who is engineered genetically by removing pathogenic genes selectively.
However, even though there is a possibility to invade the bioethics, it might be much bigger loss when people ban this technology just for that reason. Rather, just looking on the patients under genetic disease with blocking the door to the cure looks like betraying the humanitarian action. Transparent open of information and progress on the related research to people may be able to dismiss the doubt and concern about the possibility of misuse, especially such as constructing monitoring system to major citizen.
Anyway, I think, regardless of present worries, this remedy might be very common in someday just like penicillin, a breakthrough to save a lot of lives at the moment. In the past, people did not perceive the appearance of super bacteria which has resistance to several antibiotics. Without this consideration, people have abused the antibodies to kill bacteria. So, in case of this technology, people can establish several legal devices or social consent to block its improper use. Furthermore, even though designing baby becomes common procedure someday, if several social support system which prevent discrimination between normal-born people and designed people are made properly. The future might not be fearful unlike the concern related in bioethics.
Glossary
Leigh Syndrome: An uncommon genetic neurometabolic disease that affects the central nervous system. Usually, it is caused by mutation in mtDNA and the symptom is developed in infant period.
Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI): An external fertilization process in which an one sperm is injected directly into an egg.
Reference
Zhang, J., H. Liu, S. Luo, A. Chavez-Badiola, Z. Liu, M. Yang, S. Munne, M. Konstantinidis, D. Wells, and T. Huang. "First Live Birth Using Human Oocytes Reconstituted by Spindle Nuclear Transfer for Mitochondrial DNA Mutation Causing Leigh Syndrome." Fertility and Sterility 106, no. 3 (2016). doi:10.1016/j.fertnstert.2016.08.004.
@NewsfromScience. "Unanswered Questions Surround Baby Born to Three Parents." Science. 2016. Accessed September 28, 2016. http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2016/09/unanswered-questions-surround-baby-born-three-parents.
Makchic. "Soon: Three Parents Can Make One Baby." Makchic. Accessed September 28, 2016. http://www.makchic.com/soon-three-parents-can-make-one-baby/.
Https://www.facebook.com/yonhap. "세 부모에게서 유전자 받은 세계 첫 아이 탄생." 연합뉴스. 2016. Accessed September 28, 2016. http://www.yonhapnews.co.kr/bulletin/2016/09/28/0200000000AKR20160928028000075.HTML?input=1195m.
