Will three generations of IVF babies inherit genetic defects from their parents?
The third generation of IVF is a baby born through human assisted reproductive technology. Its fertilized eggs are genetically edited to avoid transmission of genetic diseases. However, there is still some controversy about whether the three generations of IVF will inherit the genetic defects of their parents. This article will discuss this issue from the perspectives of genetics, technical feasibility, ethics and medical institutions.
Genetic perspective: transmission of genetic defects
Geneticists believe that genetic defects are mainly transmitted to offspring through the transfer of DNA. The gene editing technology of the third generation IVF can reduce or block the transmission of genetic defects by repairing or replacing defective genes. However, gene editing technology is still in the development stage and may not be able to eliminate all possible genetic defects. Therefore, three generations of IVF babies still have a certain probability of inheriting genetic defects from their parents.
In addition, gene defects are usually determined not only by one gene, but also by the joint action of multiple genes. Therefore, even if a gene is successfully edited, other related genes may still be at risk of genetic defects. Therefore, the transmission of genetic defects in three generations of IVF still needs in-depth scientific research.
However, it should be noted that with the continuous progress of science and technology, gene editing technology may be able to more accurately avoid the transmission of genetic defects, thus increasing the possibility of three generations of IVF not inheriting genetic diseases.
Technical feasibility: cases of successfully avoiding genetic defects
Some laboratory studies and clinical trials have shown that gene editing technology can successfully block the transmission of genetic defects. For example, researchers at London Children's Hospital in the UK successfully repaired a pair of embryos with genetic defects in heart disease using gene editing technology, and gave birth to a healthy baby.
These successful cases show that gene editing technology has the potential to prevent the transmission of genetic defects. Although the successful cases are relatively limited at present, with the progress of technology and the accumulation of experience, it is expected that more and more genetic diseases can be avoided through gene editing technology.
Ethics: unfair to three generations of IVF?
Whether the three generations of IVF will inherit the genetic defects of their parents, people also pay attention to the relevant ethical and moral issues. Some people believe that if parents carry serious genetic defects, it is a reasonable choice to choose to give birth to a healthy baby through gene editing technology, because it can reduce the health risks that the baby may face later.
However, some people worry that this choice may cause unfairness to those families who cannot accept the third-generation IVF technology. Due to technical constraints and high costs, only a few people can choose to avoid genetic defects through gene editing technology. This may lead to a kind of inequality based on genes, and make those families unable to choose this technology face greater difficulties.
Therefore, ethical and moral issues are closely related to technical feasibility, and need to be further explored and supervised under the norms of science, ethics and law.
Medical institutions: strict supervision and guidance
In the application of three generations of IVF technology, medical institutions play an important role. Medical institutions should strictly supervise and guide gene editing technology to ensure its proper, safe and ethical use.
For example, the National Institutes of Health of the United States has issued a guide that stipulates the ethical and safety guidelines that gene editing technology should follow in clinical practice. Similar guidance documents and specifications have been formulated in other countries and regions.
The strict supervision and guidance of medical institutions is the key to ensure the safety and reliability of the application of third-generation IVF technology. Only by ensuring the balance of science, medicine and ethics can we better solve the problem of whether the three generations of IVF will inherit the genetic defects of their parents.
Summary
It is a complex question whether the three generation IVF will inherit the genetic defects of their parents. From the perspective of genetics, gene editing technology can reduce the transmission of genetic defects, but it can not completely eliminate risks. The feasibility of the technology shows that gene editing technology can successfully block the transmission of genetic defects. However, the relevant ethical issues and the regulatory needs of medical institutions also need to be fully concerned and addressed. Based on the above considerations, the genetic disease risk of the third generation IVF still exists, but with the continuous development of technology and supervision, the possibility will gradually decrease.
