FDA weighs possibility of allowing research into three-parent babies

FDA weighs possibility of allowing research into three-parent babies

By Dennis Sadowski Catholic News Service

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Fertilization techniques that would create babies from the DNA of three or four people to prevent the transmission of inheritable genetic diseases are being questioned by ethicists and others who say the procedures fail basic ethical and moral standards.

Chief among the concerns is that the techniques, which involve replacing a mother's mitochondria with that of an egg donor, would pass on genetic alterations with unknown implications for future generations.

The techniques are controversial because they involve altering an embryo's DNA, leading to questions about whether the government should approve the creation of, in effect, genetically modified humans.

In addition, the techniques rely upon in vitro fertilization, which the Catholic Church has long opposed as immoral. In IVF, a woman's eggs are removed, united with sperm in a laboratory, and then implanted in the womb of the mother or a surrogate.

The two forms of the technology to overcome mitochondrial disease -- maternal spindle transfer and pronuclear transfer -- were discussed during a hearing called by the Cellular, Tissue and Gene Therapies Advisory Committee of the Food and Drug Administration Feb. 25-26.

The committee considered only scientific and technological aspects of the techniques, explaining beforehand that "ethical and social policy" aspects were outside of its scope.

The hearing stemmed from the work of Shoukhrat Mitalipov of the Oregon Health and Science University, the field's leading researcher. He holds a doctorate in developmental and stem-cell biology. At the hearing, Mitalipov defended his work on mitochondrial transfer, which has been limited to monkeys, and said it was time to allow clinical trials on human cells.

The committee heard from several proponents of the technology as well as others who called for caution.

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FDA weighs possibility of allowing research into three-parent babies