Katharina Buczek
Britain currently requires each woman to get approval from the Human Fertilization and Embryology Authority before undergoing treatment. And to be eligible, families cannot have any other available options for avoiding the inheritance of genetic disease.
This artificial reproduction technique has received pushback from critics who argue that there are many other ways to avoid passing diseases down to children– citing screening tests and egg donations. Those who oppose the technique also claim that these experimental methods lack proof of safety.
In the future, some believe that altering the genetic code of babies could set a dangerous precedent– leading parents to create “designer babies.” Or, in other words, tweaking DNA not to avoid the inheritance of disease but to create stronger, smarter, or taller kids.
Regardless, right now, scientists in the UK are waiting to monitor and see the results of this technique by monitoring the children’s future development.
“It will be interesting to know how well the technique worked at a practical level, whether the babies are free of mitochondrial disease, and whether there is any risk of them developing problems later in life,” said Robin Lovell-Bade, a Francis Crick Institute stem cell expert.
Research published earlier this year by scientists in Europe showed how, in some cases, the tiny amount of abnormal mitochondria, which are inevitably transferred to the donor’s egg, can actually reproduce while a baby is in utero. And this can result in genetic disease.
However, Lovell-Badge claimed that the underlying reason is not understood, and methods to reduce this risk will need to be developed.
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