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| Image Source: evolution.berkeley.edu |
Genetic disorders have
been under questionnaire due to its prevalence from parent to child and henceforth.
But emerging mitochondrial replacement techniques (MRT) also raise some ethical
as well as social questions about risks or consequences for patients and
families.
MRT aims to prevent
mother to child transmission of mitochondrial disease which is complex set of
rare disorders caused due to the presence or modification into defective DNA
within. The disease thus caused may attack any organs at any age and sometimes
may lead to fatality. Currently there aren’t any approved cures or therapies
assigned by doctors.
An article on 24th
February 2016 in New England Journal of
Medicine highlights with headline “Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) disease may be
the poster child for highly targeted, 'personalized' medicine.” Scientist
confers that even though MRTs would not support health benefit on patients who
are already associated with mitochondrial diseases but for patients with risk
of transmitting them to offspring.
Initially MRTs can be
applied on male embryos as males do not transmit mitochondrial information to
offspring, as for reason of child’s safety. In conclusion, MRTs require mixing
of mtDNA from female donors with DNA from the nucleus of both mother and
father. The research should not investigate unanticipated health problems so
that it could be an effective clinical practice.
Further reading: Children's
Hospital of Philadelphia
Journal Source: Marni
J. Falk, Alan Decherney, Jeffrey P. Kahn. Mitochondrial Replacement
Techniques — Implications for the Clinical Community. New England Journal
of Medicine, 2016
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