Genetics plays a major role in the make-up of one's health. Many of today's diseases are associated with genetics. Families with genetic diseases often pass on the condition to their children, grandchildren and great grandchildren.
Those who are at risk of passing rare genetic diseases that can be fatal to their children are seeing a promising and ground-breaking procedure to prevent the disease from developing in the fetus.
Around forty scientists from all over the word are convincing the United Kingdom legislature to approve a pending law that will allow mitochondrial DNA transfer in a vote in the House of Commons on Tuesday, The Guardian reported.
The controversial "3-person-IVF" has been debated in the British parliament as reported by Biopolitical Times. On September 2013, a public airing in the House of Commons took part in an effort to legalize a form of genetic modification that aims to prevent the transmission of mitochondrial diseases through combining eggs from two women.
Mitochondrial disease is a group of conditions caused by alterations and faults in the DNA of tiny structures called mitochondria. The mitochondria are the sources of power and energy for the cells of the body. Mothers are the ones passing the mitochondrial DNA and if it is faulty, a healthy DNA from a female donor can be acquired through the controversial procedure.
The procedure is being questioned by many ethical groups because if the DNA is acquired from a third party, the born child will have about 0.2% of DNA from another person which is not his or her parents.
Professor John Gearhart, FDA gene therapies advisory committee, is one of the scientists from the United States that would want the law to be amended in order for parents to pursue the breakthrough procedure. Other scientists are Evan Snyder, former chair of the panel; and Carlos Moraes, who has advised the FDA on mitochondrial transfer.
Telegraph UK reports that Professor Robert Winston, professor of science and society at Imperial College London and IVF pioneer, says that getting the baby's DNA from three parents is no more sinister than a blood transfusion.
Furthermore, the Church of England said it will not support the change in legislation and said that the scientists have not yet proven that the child will not inherit the characteristics from the donor mother.
"Transfusing mitochondria is not unlike transfusing red blood cells in a case of severe anaemia - the main difference being that the mitochondrial treatments last into future generations," he told The Telegraph.
If the new law will be passed, it will be presented in the House of Lords on the 23rd of February. If approved, human trials will be done on October.
