What is the technical principle of the third generation IVF?
With the development of science and technology, mankind has mastered a method that can help couples who cannot conceive naturally to achieve fertility, that is, IVF technology. On the basis of IVF technology, a more advanced technology - Three Parent IVF has emerged. So, what is the technical principle of three generations of IVF? The following will explain in detail from four aspects: background introduction, technical process, advantages and disputes.
Background
The traditional IVF technology is to transplant the sperm and eggs of both men and women into the female uterus after in vitro fertilization, and then expect the natural growth of the embryo. However, some women cannot supply healthy mitochondria due to the reproductive system, which will increase the risk of abnormal development of fertilized eggs or miscarriage. In order to solve this problem, three generations of IVF technology came into being.
Technical process
Three generation IVF technology is to combine genes from three individuals to produce a healthy embryo.
First, doctors will extract the outer mitochondria of the nuclear gene from the mother's egg, because the mother's mitochondria may have gene defects. Then, in the laboratory, doctors will extract the nuclear gene from the mother's egg.
Next, doctors will extract healthy mitochondria from another woman's egg, and then inject the mother's nuclear gene into it. This egg with healthy mitochondria has become an important part of three generations of IVF.
Finally, the doctor combined the egg with healthy mitochondria with his father's sperm to fertilize it and develop it into an embryo. After the embryo continues to be cultured in the laboratory to a certain stage of development, it will be transferred to the mother's uterus, hoping that it can successfully pregnancy and develop into a healthy baby.
advantage
Compared with the traditional IVF technology, the third-generation IVF technology has the following advantages:
First, by combining an egg with healthy mitochondria with the father's sperm, the risk of abnormal embryonic development or abortion can be reduced.
Secondly, the third-generation IVF technology can help some families suffering from mitochondrial related diseases, providing the possibility for them to realize their desire to have children.
In addition, the third-generation IVF technology can screen genetic diseases in advance, helping couples avoid passing on genetic diseases to the next generation.
dispute
However, there are also some controversies about the third generation IVF technology. First of all, some people worry that this technology may lead to genetic modification, resulting in unknown risks and consequences.
Secondly, the three generation IVF technology involves gene combination of multiple individuals, which raises ethical and moral issues, including respect for life and the relationship between human and nature.
For these disputes, strict scientific research and ethical evaluation must be carried out to ensure the safety and feasibility of technology.
Summary
To sum up, the third-generation IVF technology combines genes from three individuals to produce a healthy embryo. Compared with the traditional IVF technology, it has the advantage of reducing the risk of abnormal development and abortion, but also brings ethical and moral disputes. For the future, we need more scientific research and ethical evaluation to ensure the safety and feasibility of the third-generation IVF technology.
