Recently the research for replacing diseased
mitochondrial DNA from a donor egg with healthy mitochondrial DNA has
progressed enough to consider human trials. Mitochondrial DNA is different than
the DNA in a person’s nucleus. Scientists would not be changing the physical
appearance or personality traits given from the mother’s egg. An easy way some
explain it is like replacing a person’s battery. In this article it lists some
of the life threatening diseases it could prevent.
The public has safety and ethical worries about this
new method. The FDA is reviewing the safety aspect of the new method like if
the new introduced DNA will have any effect on the offspring and if it will
harm or benefit the mother. Clinical trials have been proven to be able to
produce healthy offspring well into adulthood. The ethical issues the public has is whether
or not this would be a slippery slope into creating super humans or just
picking what traits one’s offspring will have.
These ethical issues have little to do with the case in
hand. Yes, as scientific research progresses there will be the ability to
change the nuclear DNA but that is a whole different issue. The issue of today
is to determine whether or not human trials would be safe. To me it is worrisome
that our medical and scientific advances progress too fast for the regulations
or guidelines of this government. I think the real issue at hand is to find a
way to introduce research to the public in an appealing way that will quickly
inform them and to create a better relationship between the lawmakers and
researchers.
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