Something out of a fantasy movie? No. It was the late 1990’s and an American team had just created the very first genetically engineered humans. Attempting to treat infertility, the team added part of the egg of one woman to the egg of another – a three parent child. This technique, however, is now illegal in many countries.Despite this, Patrick Chinnery and Douglas Turnbull of Newcastle University, UK, employ a similar technique in a different light. Through their research they are looking to prevent the mitochondrial diseases that affect 1 in 8000 people and have no cure. This technique involves taking the nucleus of an egg with faulty mitochondria and inserting it into a donor egg cell whose nucleus has been removed, essentially resulting in “an embryo with nuclear genes from the prospective parents and mitochondrial DNA from the second mother.”
In theory, this sounds like an excellent treatment for some of the most dreadful, congenital diseases known; however, in practice, many of the faulty mitochondria attach to the extracted nucleus, and therefore, the new egg cell also contains mutant mitochondria. The effect that this may have on a mature egg cell, not to mention, a human life, is unknown. Apart from being the cell’s powerhouse, it is also believed that mitochondria influence a range of other physical and mental traits, all of which contribute to our own individualism. Despite the fact that this procedure may save many lives, extensive research is still needed because presently, it is questionable whether the benefits outweigh the risks and ethical considerations.
Jordyn Battersby
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