Child born with DNA from 3 parents

DesVegas

https://www.newscientist.com/article/2107219-exclusive-worlds-first-baby-born-with-new-3-parent-technique/

My immediate knee jerk reaction is do you want Magneto? Because that is how you get Magneto.

"In mexico, there are no rules" 

Iamnobody

That's not news - it's an every day occurrence on Jeremy Kyle!

Mkjackary

This was passed as legal quite some time ago in the UK, around Feb 2015 iirc.
We were the first country to legalise it, we have been doing studies and tests ever since, but I think Mexico just jumped in and went for it, we are being a bit more cautious.

It is brilliant for two reasons.

First medically, anybody with a mitochondrial disease can have children that won't have to suffer from their disease. By having someone donate healthy mitochondria the baby will be healthy.

And secondly for gay couples who want children, before they would have to adopt, or only one of them would be the biological parent.
Now one parent could donate the egg, and the other the mitochondrial DNA with the sperm from an outside source. (Or the other way around with male couples)

Their child will biologically be related to both of it's (homosexual) parents.

Mkjackary

DesVegas said:

My immediate knee jerk reaction is do you want Magneto? Because that is how you get Magneto.

That would be cool though

https://a2ua.com/magneto/magneto-010.jpg

menamestom

I think it's a great thing.  It's actually been going since 1976, because my parents were able to give me Einstein and Hendrix genes in the early days of the technology. 

TheMarlin

I'd like to be sure there are no genetic issues down the line as a result of this.   It seems a bit unnecessary and bizarre to me.  

boogieman

menamestom said:

I think it's a great thing.  It's actually been going since 1976, because my parents were able to give me Einstein and Hendrix genes in the early days of the technology. 

Such a shame it was Jimi's grasp of physics and Albert's fretboard skills though. 

  

menamestom

boogieman said:

menamestom said:

I think it's a great thing.  It's actually been going since 1976, because my parents were able to give me Einstein and Hendrix genes in the early days of the technology. 

Such a shame it was Jimi's grasp of physics and Albert's fretboard skills though. 

  

Yeah that probably explains why I chucked my guitar out of a window to see what gravity did then set fire to my Newton's cradle

Snap

Its certainly weird, and certainly unnatural. But for any detractors, is that necessarily a bad thing? After all, taking a pharmaceutical is unnatural, but we are OK with that.

As soon as science intrudes on anything to do with conception, the ethics alarms start sounding. IMO its one area of science and medicine that needs very careful stewardship.

Another point is that fertility and parenthood isn't a right: its a privilege. IMO of course.

Drew_TNBD

DesVegas said:

My immediate knee jerk reaction is do you want Magneto? Because that is how you get Magneto.

Or alternatively... http://www.comicbooked.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/thething1982-1.jpg

menamestom

I don't think it is unnatural or weird.  It's mankind using it's collective knowledge to allow children to be born without horrific diseases whilst remaining to be genetically related to it's parents.  That's good, surely?

In fact un natural as a notion bothers me, it has too many links with religion and people who think stopping vaccinations is a good thing etc.  Cyanide is natural as is Malaria.  The thing that stops you getting TB is unnatural by the same definition. 

Snap

natural is by definition something that occurs in nature. That's very different to saying something isn't normal. That's why I carefully used the word.

It is most definitely unnatural as no species on the planet uses three sets of individual genetic material to reproduce. It completely bucks the natural order.

Also note I didn't pass judgement by saying its unnatural, because a lot of medical advancement is (by my definition) unnatural.

ANd I agree wholeheartedly on the reilgion thing, but then I'd take religion out of everything: religion really winds me up.

Evilmags

The science is awesome but I'm not sure I'd want to be the first baby ever born that way. 

octatonic

Yay Science!

menamestom

Snap said:

natural is by definition something that occurs in nature. That's very different to saying something isn't normal. That's why I carefully used the word.

It is most definitely unnatural as no species on the planet uses three sets of individual genetic material to reproduce. It completely bucks the natural order.

Also note I didn't pass judgement by saying its unnatural, because a lot of medical advancement is (by my definition) unnatural.

ANd I agree wholeheartedly on the reilgion thing, but then I'd take religion out of everything: religion really winds me up.

Okay mate.  I've probably spent too long getting would up by the likes of  David Wolfe, Natural News and that kind of thing where everything considered natural is good and anything not natural is bad.  You didn't pass judgement to be fair, perhaps it's just the way I look at things, which is scientifically, whether something is natural or not is by-the-by, it's all chemicals, biological processes etc and if it achieves the goal and makes somebody's life better, it's a good thing.  Clearly not yourself, but some people will not get past that this is 'unnatural', which would be a shame. 

ThePrettyDamned

It's amazing. 

I do wonder how the NHS will afford it when people demand the "right" to it. But medically and scientifically, it is fantastic. Mankind just never ceases to amaze. 

Sporky

Evilmags said:

The science is awesome but I'm not sure I'd want to be the first baby ever born that way. 

I think it'd be totes worth it for the awesome superpowers.

Mkjackary

TheMarlin said:

It seems a bit unnecessary and bizarre to me.  

Taken from Wikipedia

"Symptoms [of mitochondrial diseases] include poor growth, loss of muscle coordination, muscle weakness, visual problems, hearing problems, learning disabilities, heart disease, liver disease, kidney disease, gastrointestinal disorders, respiratory disorders, neurological problems, autonomic dysfunction and dementia."

I wouldn't want to put a child through that if I had a choice.

Sporky

Snap said:

As soon as science intrudes on anything to do with conception, the ethics alarms start sounding. IMO its one area of science and medicine that needs very careful stewardship.

We already enable the passing on of infertility via various means.

Axe_meister

Well I have the perfect DNA mix.
Einstein and Arnold Schwartzeneger.
Unfortunatly I got Einsteins body and Arnold's brain.

Drew_TNBD

Axe_meister said:

Well I have the perfect DNA mix.
Einstein and Arnold Schwartzeneger.
Unfortunatly I got Einsteins body and Arnold's brain.

Given that Arnie was a millionaire before he even moved to the US, I'd say that's a pretty decent brain!