Regulatory actions regarding the creation of babies using egg and sperm from three people have been set aside in UK. The rules known as Draft Rules will be effective by the end of 2014 and will be reviewed as a matter of public consultation.
According to the doctors, three persons IVF can eliminate debilitating and potentially fatal diseases that are transferred from the mother to the child. However opponents are of the view that such regulatory means could set entire UK on a “slippery slope” to designer babies.
Scientists believe that besides using parent’s sperm and eggs, an additional egg from a donor woman should prevent mitochondrial disease which may be passed on hereditarily. Mitochondria are referred to as the “power stations” of the cells as they provide energy to them. Statistics say that one in every 6500 babies are unfortunate enough to have mitochondrial diseases. Such disease makes one lacking in energy that eventually leads to weakness, blindness, heart failure and even death.
Scientists are reported to have devised two modern techniques that allow them to take the genetic info from the respective mother and then place it into the egg of the donor which has a strong and healthy mitochondria.
