Diabetes, deafness, eye disorders and gastrointestinal disorders are some of the diseases that are hereditary, but there is a group of scientists in the United States that is trying a new procedure to prevent these diseases.
The scientists are from the Oregon
University and they were able to substitute with success the mitochondrial DNA
in sixty-five human oocytes—immature eggs—and they have already observed how
the fertilization rate after the handover is similar to healthy oocytes.
The researchers had observed that almost
the half of the oocytes were able to grow in a perfect way until the
blastocysts are generated; on the other hand, the rest of the oocytes developed
chromosomal defects.
“With this process the scientists have
demonstrated that the mutated DNA from the mitochondria can be replaced for
healthy copies of human cells” explains Shoukhart Mitalipov, principal author
of this investigation. “Meanwhile the human cells in our research can only
develop themselves until the stage of the embryonic stem cells; this method
could be an alternative to prevent hereditary diseases”.
Even though, a lot of studies are necessary
to utilize this procedure therapeutically, to the authors the investigation
represent that the test can be possible, because this procedure was already
tested in animal oocytes with totally success… now they are making a lot of
efforts to be able to make it possible for human beings.
Women, if you were future mothers who
suffer from one of these diseases, would you go under this procedure to benefit
your child?
