Babies with thre parents ahead

[JoFerret]

http://observer.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,6903,1329371,00.html

Scientists are seeking permission to carry out experiments that would result in children being born with three biological parents. UK medical authorities say they will almost certainly approve the application in the next few weeks.
The aim of the technique is to prevent mothers passing on degenerative genetic diseases to their children. But campaigners say it could lead to significant increases in elderly women having children. They also claim it represents an unacceptable step towards the creation of designer babies.

'By creating a child with three genetic parents, these scientists are taking the first step towards genetic engineering of human beings. That is not a direction in which we should be going,' said Dr David King, director of Human Genetics Alert.

The technology - which is being developed by a team at Newcastle University - will involve the implanting of the nucleus of an embryo from an affected mother into an egg taken from a donor that has been stripped of its nucleus.

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[DrWeird]

1. Burn the witch!!!

nt

[KittyWampus]

9. Stop The Science Divorced From Ethics!

and wed to Corporate Profits!

[wildeyed]

2. Can you imagine the custody battles that will result from this? n/t

[Maple]

3. We already have babies

with 3 parents. This is kinda dated.

[Southpaw Bookworm]

4. Biologically or otherwise?

I think that as far as the law is concerned, the issue of whose genetic material is used is fairly important.

[Maple]

7. It's never been important before

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/1312708.stm

Friday, 4 May, 2001, 15:26 GMT 16:26 UK
Genetically altered babies born

Mitochondria contain genes outside the cell's nucleus

By BBC News Online science editor Dr David Whitehouse

Scientists have confirmed that the first genetically altered humans have been born and are healthy.

Up to 30 such children have been born - 15 of them as a result of one experimental programme at a US laboratory.

An "unwelcome" development say scientists

But the technique has been criticised as unethical by some scientists and would be illegal in many countries, including the United Kingdom.

Genetic fingerprint tests on two one-year-old children confirm that they contain a small quantity of additional genes not inherited from either parent.

The additional genes were taken from a healthy donor and used to overcome the infertility problems of the mother.

[Mz Pip]

5. Just because we can

doesn't mean we should.

We don't need any more ways to reproduce. THere are enough of us already. :crazy:

MzPip
:dem:

[Maple]

6. World is not overpopulated

You could put everybody in Texas in fact and still have plenty of room.

[Mz Pip]

10. It's not about room

I suppose physically we don't take up that much space, but our stuff does and we do manage to do an awful lot of damage raping and pillaging the environment.

MzPip
:dem:

[mitchtv]

11. it is so overpopulated when you go beyond sq. in.

arable land, fresh water resources,food distribution, wild life destruction education.There is more to life than breeding, I hope.

[Dem2theMax]

12. Room, yes. Food, clean air, clean water, enough medicine, etc, etc.,

The world (or more precisely, the people in it) can't provide what the population needs NOW -- let alone MORE people.

[StupidFOX]

8. I dunno... I kinda like it...

Here's the impression that I got. It could lead to a scenerio like this:

Mother has genetic defect...
Father is fine...
Donor is fine...

Doctors take out defective mother genes, replace with fine donor genes, and poof, mother has perfectly healthy baby.

But if you get into issues where the doctors go "I KNOW! Let's attach super missle systems to babies' arms!!" that's bad science. I don't think this is approaching that.

[RaRa]

13. Not that I've drawn a clear line in the sand

about when it's ok to fuck with mother nature and when it's not, but this seems to me to fall under "not". She will bite us back 3fold. We're already seeing problems with babies born through artificial insemination. I don't blame folks for trying it, but don't expect nature to respond kindly to things that maybe weren't meant to be.