babies wit three parents

[billy]

Babies with three biological parents could be conceived within three years after research that could stop children from inheriting severe diseases.

Scientists at Newcastle University have grown human embryos after merging DNA from two fertilised eggs, with a technique that could soon be used to prevent serious genetic disorders that affect 100 children in Britain a year.

source;

should it be allowed or should it be stopped. is it right or wrong to go down this path.

i have lots of views on the subject but i'd like to save them till others have had their say.

[mrmod]

It's not really three parents imo.

A child would inherit genetic material from three parents. The mother and father would supply 99.8 per cent of its DNA, with a small amount from another woman, the mitochondrial donor.

You already have people who are infertile and have to inseminate someone else. It still doesn't make the holder a true parent.

However, messing with the DNA of an embryo could be risky.

[kath3]

I also don't see it as three parents.
Should it be allowed? ... that's debatable. Should it be stopped? ... I highly doubt it could be.
Mankind will continually seek to make improvements towards the quality of life for individuals. We can't stop progress but we need to make sure that advancements are properly managed . We live in a time now when the sky isn't the limit anymore.
Many peoples of faith will see this as playing God and oppose ... maybe their right, while others with or without a faith in God will see it as using the intelligence that we've been given as a gift and a right to fully exercise and pursue, and maybe they are also right. I believe it will come down to which group has the loudest voice, the most money and the most political ties.
As a believer I do question if we are indeed going too far with our scientific advancements, messy around where we have no right. At the same time I nor anyone in my family suffers from an inherent disease and I would not want to be the cause to someone's suffering because of my beliefs.
One definitely needs to visit both sides of the fence with this.

[billy]

It's not really three parents imo.

A child would inherit genetic material from three parents. The mother and father would supply 99.8 per cent of its DNA, with a small amount from another woman, the mitochondrial donor.

You already have people who are infertile and have to inseminate someone else. It still doesn't make the holder a true parent.

However, messing with the DNA of an embryo could be risky.

infertile people cannot inseminate someone else. (they're infertile)

normally dna comes from two people. to manipulate the egg to have three types, no matter how small means the child is born of three different individuals.

@kath3;

i think i'm also a fence sitter on this one.. on the one hand if you believe life begins with fertilization. you have the chance of destroying it as you manipulate it.

that said if the outcome is a healthy child.person then i'm all for it.

off topic. they think they've found the Methuselah gene which allows people to live past a hundred. for me thats where we'll fail with gene research . pretty soon we'll have a world full of geriatrics

[kath3]

off topic. they think they've found the Methuselah gene which allows people to live past a hundred. for me thats where we'll fail with gene research . pretty soon we'll have a world full of geriatrics

Not necessarily as we are understanding more the value of eating healthy, organic foods, eliminating stress, exercising and getting enough sleep has on our bodies. Positive lifestyle changes has a positive effect on our bodies and in turn can slow down the aging process. Just as smoking, drinking, eating junk food and partying till all hours of the night can speed up the aging process. If in fact the day comes when we can add years to our lives 85 could be as a 45 year old. I would love to live longer provided I could remain active and with full mental functions.

[billy]

off topic. they think they've found the Methuselah gene which allows people to live past a hundred. for me thats where we'll fail with gene research . pretty soon we'll have a world full of geriatrics

Not necessarily as we are understanding more the value of eating healthy, organic foods, eliminating stress, exercising and getting enough sleep has on our bodies. Positive lifestyle changes has a positive effect on our bodies and in turn can slow down the aging process. Just as smoking, drinking, eating junk food and partying till all hours of the night can speed up the aging process. If in fact the day comes when we can add years to our lives 85 could be as a 45 year old. I would love to live longer provided I could remain active and with full mental functions.

i'll try and find the source kath. what i'm implying is this;
if they can isolate the gene which deals with longevity, and manipualte as they have with many others, they could in theory extend the life span to say 150 that in itself would prob add a third to the population not including natural population expansion. within a short period of time. we 're already struggling to feed those we have on the planet as it is.

the other point is this.

who would get the gene therapy, not just the age genes. but all of it. or any of it. i wouldn't imagine it to be cheap or to be done on a national health systems budget such as the uk has.

[kath3]

I understand where you are heading with over population and I agree.
These are my thoughts ... We have worldwide a huge population of aged folks lying in nursing homes and hospitals waiting/praying to be taken. We have a huge population of folks with incurable diseases existing with horrific suffering. Now I don't know about euthanasia in other countries but here in Canada it's against the law ... a law I feel needs to be changed.
I watched my brother who had always been a strong, hard working provider for his family as a farmer die slowly for three years from cancer. Near the end if someone would have handed me a needle to put an end to his suffering I would have grabbed at it ... we were all praying that it would end ... we don't let animals suffer as we do humans. Now don't get me wrong here I'm not saying all aged and sick should be (pardon the expression) put down ... it must remain a personal choice, one made a head of time as we do with being an organ donor. Anyways, even if we do manage to extend our life expectancy there will still be the aged and sick and euthanasia would certainly help out with over population and for some folks be a blessing.

In regards to your other point, I see it as attainment only for the wealthy.

[billy]

i think euthanasia is just a litte too far off topic though if this gene therapy extends life for such a long period then i do think it should becaome an option.

one side i have thought about is this. would the old person still be productive. cognizant etc. carry out a job, work for their living. if so then the plus sides could outweigh the loss.

[kath3]

one side i have thought about is this. would the old person still be productive. cognizant etc. carry out a job, work for their living. if so then the plus sides could outweigh the loss.

Absolutely

[mrmod]

infertile people cannot inseminate someone else. (they're infertile)

Sorry for the wording. I meant when they are not fully infertile but another woman has got to carry the baby of the couple .

[cigarbabe]

It's not really three parents imo.

A child would inherit genetic material from three parents. The mother and father would supply 99.8 per cent of its DNA, with a small amount from another woman, the mitochondrial donor.

You already have people who are infertile and have to inseminate someone else. It still doesn't make the holder a true parent.

However, messing with the DNA of an embryo could be risky.

Dan how do you figure it doesn't make them a "true parent" what the hell does that even mean?!
C.B.