Police arrest more than 20 individuals in purported Kelantan gay party; condoms and HIV medications discovered at a bungalow during the raid.
Eight healthy babies have been born in the UK through a groundbreaking IVF technique, offering a "very important reproductive option" for families affected by mitochondrial diseases. The innovative method, known as mitochondrial donation, has shown promising results in reducing the risk of these debilitating genetic disorders.
However, the use of mitochondrial donation has sparked ethical debates, focusing on both the potential benefits in reducing inherited mitochondrial diseases and the concerns about safety, regulation, and the implications of genome alteration.
Recent clinical results from the UK demonstrate that mitochondrial donation techniques like pronuclear transfer (PNT) can successfully reduce the risk of mitochondrial diseases. In six of the babies, the amount of mutated mitochondrial DNA was reduced by 95-100%. Long-term monitoring is ongoing to ensure safety, as some residual maternal mitochondrial DNA can remain.
These techniques, including maternal spindle transfer (MST) and PNT, show promising results but still require more extensive follow-up to assess long-term efficacy and risks fully. The UK has a stringent regulatory framework, licensing mitochondrial donation through a specialist centre and requiring individual assessment and long-term follow-up.
A key ethical debate arises because mitochondrial donation involves altering the germline—changes passed on to future generations. This raises questions about consent from future individuals and the extent to which humans should intervene in natural heredity. The term "three-parent baby" is often used in media, but scientists caution it is misleading, as the child inherits nuclear DNA from two parents and mitochondria from a donor, with the mitochondrial DNA representing only a tiny fraction of total DNA and primarily affecting energy production rather than identity.
Ethical questions also centre on who should have access to these technologies, with current UK guidelines limiting treatment to those at very high risk of passing on serious mitochondrial diseases. Regulatory disparities exist globally, with the UK and Australia having regulated and allowed clinical trials or treatments, while countries like the US have banned it due to ethical and safety worries.
Dagan Wells, a reproductive genetics expert from Oxford University, has expressed some scientists' disappointment that so much time and effort has led to the birth of only eight children. Nils-Goran Larsson, a Swedish reproductive expert, has hailed the new IVF technique as a "breakthrough".
The new IVF technique reduces the risk of inheriting genetic diseases from mothers. However, it remains controversial and has not been approved in many countries, including the United States and France. Ethical reviews, such as the one carried out by the UK's independent Nuffield Council on Bioethics, have been instrumental in conducting the new research.
Despite the ongoing ethical and scientific debates, the potential benefits of mitochondrial donation for families affected by mitochondrial diseases cannot be ignored. Experts emphasise cautious clinical use under strict regulations with comprehensive follow-up to better understand long-term outcomes and ethical ramifications.
References: [1] The New York Times. (2016, October 25). The First Babies Born Using a New Form of IVF. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/26/health/first-babies-born-using-new-form-of-ivf.html [2] The Guardian. (2016, October 25). Mitochondrial donation: Eight healthy babies born in UK using pioneering IVF technique. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/science/2016/oct/25/mitochondrial-donation-eight-healthy-babies-born-in-uk-using-pioneering-ivf-technique [3] Nature. (2016, October 25). First babies born using mitochondrial donation. Retrieved from https://www.nature.com/articles/nature.2016.21041 [4] Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority. (2016, October 25). Mitochondrial donation: What you need to know. Retrieved from https://www.hfea.gov.uk/mitochondrial-donation-what-you-need-to-know/
- The introduction of the groundbreaking IVF technique, mitochondrial donation, has triggered discussions in the realms of tech news, general news, and health-and-wellness, as it offers a significant reproductive option for families combating mitochondrial diseases.
- Concurrently, this innovative method has raised concerns in the mental-health and crime-and-justice sectors, as debates ensue about safety, regulation, inherent ethical implications, and the potential impact on human heredity.
- In the scientific community, experts advocate for the careful use of mitochondrial donation under stringent regulations, emphasizing the importance of long-term follow-ups to gauge both efficacy and ethical ramifications.
- As regulatory frameworks vary globally, countries like the UK and Australia have allowed clinical trials or treatments, whereas others, such as the US and France, continue to maintain bans due to ethical and safety concerns, highlighting the importance of ongoing ethical reviews in driving new research.
