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| Science |
| "I've got two moms. And a Dad." |
| 2008-02-06 |
| Scientists believe they have made a potential breakthrough in the treatment of serious disease by creating a human embryo with three separate parents. The Newcastle University team believe the technique could help to eradicate a whole class of hereditary diseases, including some forms of epilepsy. The embryos have been created using DNA from a man and two women in lab tests. It's been tried before, I assure you. It could ensure women with genetic defects do not pass the diseases on to their children. OK, that's interesting. In a different sort of way. The technique is intended to help women with diseases of the mitochondria - mini organelles that are found within individual cells. A different sort of way that's not nearly as much fun. They are sometimes described as "cellular power plants" because they generate most of the cell's energy. Faults in the mitochondrial DNA can cause around 50 known diseases, some of which lead to disability and death. About one in every 6,500 people is affected by such conditions, which include fatal liver failure, stroke-like episodes, blindness, muscular dystrophy, diabetes and deafness. Still no cure for liberalism then? At present, no treatment for mitochondrial diseases exists. The Newcastle team have effectively given the embryos a mitochondria transplant. They experimented on 10 severely abnormal embryos left over from traditional fertility treatment. Within hours of their creation, the nucleus, containing DNA from the mother and father, was removed from the embryo, and implanted into a donor egg whose DNA had been largely removed. The only genetic information remaining from the donor egg was the tiny bit that controls production of mitochondria - around 16,000 of the 3billion component parts that make up the human genome. The embryos then began to develop normally, but were destroyed within six days. Experiments using mice have shown that the offspring with the new mitochondria carry no information that defines any human attributes. They're mice. Identical twins differences arise because they don't share the same mitochondrial DNA I understand. True? So while any baby born through this method would have genetic elements from three people, the nuclear DNA that influences appearance and other characteristics would not come from the woman providing the donor egg. However, the team only have permission to carry out the lab experiments and as yet this would not be allowed to be offered as a treatment. Professor Patrick Chinnery, a member of the Newcastle team, said: "We believe that from this work, and work we have done on other animals that in principle we could develop this technique and offer treatment in the forseeable future that will give families some hope of avoiding passing these diseases to their children." Cool. Dr Marita Pohlschmidt, of the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign, which has funded the Newcastle research, was confident it would lead to a badly needed breakthrough in treatment. "Mitochondrial myopathies are a group of complex and severe diseases," she said. "This can make it very difficult for clinicians to provide genetic counselling and give patients an accurate prognosis." However, but the Newcastle work has attracted opposition. Josephine Quintavalle, of the pro-life group Comment on Reproductive Ethics, said it was "risky, dangerous" and a step towards "designer babies". Beats dead babies. "It is human beings they are experimenting with," she said. "We should not be messing around with the building blocks of life." Mrs Quintavalle said embryo research in the US using DNA from one man and two women was discontinued because of the "huge abnormalities" in some cases. Which cases, exactly? My BS detector just bent a needle. Dr David King, of Human Genetics Alert, expressed concern about a "drift towards GM babies". Bad to ignore this science, good to stay skeptical. But even nature makes mistakes. But what may look like a mistake could be a kluge that has a use. Be careful and look both ways before crossing this street. |
| Posted by:gorb |
| #7 Btfsplk, RJ. No vowels. Never did figure out how to pronounce it. And I'll bet Al Capp didn't either. ;-p |
| Posted by: Barbara Skolaut 2008-02-06 19:33 |
| #6 "Biftsplik"(Sorry) |
| Posted by: Redneck Jim 2008-02-06 19:18 |
| #5 OOOOKAY, no one is old enough. The phrase comes from "L'il Abner (Movie, parody of a parody) The phrase is "General Bullmose Motors" (Parody of GM) the trick here is that GM's president really said, "What's good for General Motors, is good for the USA" General Bullmose is a cartoon of a Tycoon, having a secretary listed as "Private, and Very Personal secretary, Miss Apasionata Climax". I guess L'il Abner is mostly forgotten. Too bad, prime sarcasm. Cutting edge snark. (Indian, "Lonesome Polecat", partner "Hairless Joe" covered with shaggy red hair, they brewed "Kickapoo Joy Juice"(Moonshine) with anything they could throw in the tub) Joe Fiftsplik, Walked around under a permanent black thundrcloud, only had bad luck Etc, Etc. |
| Posted by: Redneck Jim 2008-02-06 19:16 |
| #4 Wut I sed wuz, what's good for the country is good for General Motors and vice versa. |
| Posted by: Motor Charley 2008-02-06 15:15 |
| #3 (Chorus) YES SIR He makes them rough, he makes them tough, and this is why we say, "WHAT'S GOOD FOR GENERAL BULLMOOSE, IS GOOD FOR THE USA". (Anybody else that old?) |
| Posted by: Redneck Jim 2008-02-06 13:41 |
| #2 Dr David King, of Human Genetics Alert, expressed concern about a "drift towards GM babies". "As GM goes, so goes the nation." |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2008-02-06 10:29 |
| #1 The embryos have been created using DNA from a man and two women in lab tests. I have tried that a couple times. I am sorry to say it was not like in the movies. |
| Posted by: Excalibur 2008-02-06 10:25 |