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Congress Revives Ban on Altering the DNA of Human Embryos Used for Pregnancies

24 points by headalgorithm 7y ago

adrianN 7y ago
How reliable are techniques for fixing single-locus mutations in mammal zygotes? I heard that CRISPR is not all that reliable and the risk of introducing unwanted changes is fairly high. Does anybody have numbers about how many embryos you would have to go through on average until you get one with exactly the alteration that you wanted?
- Symmetry 7y ago
  If you're looking for offspring without some particular mutation you're much better of with embryo selection rather than trying to use CRISPR. It's only when you have some specific trait not present in the parents that you'd even want to consider it, really. Well, if you've got a problem on the y-chromosome or the mitochondria then you have a good medical reason but there just isn't that much on the y-chromosome and the three-parent embryo thing in the article is a good solution for mitochondrial DNA problems.
  - derefr 7y ago
    What about some specific trait present in both parents, that will get worse in the child if both parents have it, because it’s a phenotype influenced by the number of copies of a gene the parents each have, and the gene is dominant? Cystic fibrosis, for example. Be nice to just slice all the copies out and start fresh, so that the child isn’t even a carrier.
    - Symmetry 7y ago
      I'm confused here, I'd always thought that Cystic Fibrosis was a classic Mendelian recessive and a quick look at Wikipedia suggests that's correct. If you want to get rid of an autosomal recessive gene through embryo selection just make a few blastocysts and only implant one that doesn't carry any copies of the allele you don't like. If you do have a gene with a number of copies on each chromosome, like the one for amylase say, the number of copies of one type or another don't generally have enough of an effect to get too worked up over it?
- SkyBelow 7y ago
  I'm not sure it should be a factor since we would not want to apply this standard to two adults reproducing the more classical way. The risk should be disclosed to anyone seeking to use the option, but to enforce law based on it would be a form of state enforced eugenics, no?
hanniabu 7y ago
While I understand the concerns with this, I highly doubt our government does (they still don't understand the internet). I'm a believer that this ban is centered around religion and the fear that if man can "create" then it takes away from religion and a God creating man.

24 points by headalgorithm 7y ago

How reliable are techniques for fixing single-locus mutations in mammal zygotes? I heard that CRISPR is not all that reliable and the risk of introducing unwanted changes is fairly high. Does anybody have numbers about how many embryos you would have to go through on average until you get one with exactly the alteration that you wanted?

Symmetry 7y ago
If you're looking for offspring without some particular mutation you're much better of with embryo selection rather than trying to use CRISPR. It's only when you have some specific trait not present in the parents that you'd even want to consider it, really. Well, if you've got a problem on the y-chromosome or the mitochondria then you have a good medical reason but there just isn't that much on the y-chromosome and the three-parent embryo thing in the article is a good solution for mitochondrial DNA problems.
- derefr 7y ago
  What about some specific trait present in both parents, that will get worse in the child if both parents have it, because it’s a phenotype influenced by the number of copies of a gene the parents each have, and the gene is dominant? Cystic fibrosis, for example. Be nice to just slice all the copies out and start fresh, so that the child isn’t even a carrier.
  - Symmetry 7y ago
    I'm confused here, I'd always thought that Cystic Fibrosis was a classic Mendelian recessive and a quick look at Wikipedia suggests that's correct. If you want to get rid of an autosomal recessive gene through embryo selection just make a few blastocysts and only implant one that doesn't carry any copies of the allele you don't like. If you do have a gene with a number of copies on each chromosome, like the one for amylase say, the number of copies of one type or another don't generally have enough of an effect to get too worked up over it?
SkyBelow 7y ago
I'm not sure it should be a factor since we would not want to apply this standard to two adults reproducing the more classical way. The risk should be disclosed to anyone seeking to use the option, but to enforce law based on it would be a form of state enforced eugenics, no?

hanniabu 7y ago

While I understand the concerns with this, I highly doubt our government does (they still don't understand the internet). I'm a believer that this ban is centered around religion and the fear that if man can "create" then it takes away from religion and a God creating man.