Monkeys born from two mothers

Researchers at Oregon Health & Science University in Portland have for the first time produced four monkeys using genes from two different mothers.

The breakthrough, if attempted on people, can help women with inherited genetic defects. But on the other hand, it will create a stir regarding legal, ethical and social issues.

“The only way to treat these defects is to replace the genes,” Shoukhrat Mitalipov, the lead researcher said. “This is gene transfer involving the germline, which is a concern, but we are pursuing it not for general use but for patients with mutations they will pass to the next generation. We believe this technology will prevent that.”

How they achieved this breakthrough feat
For the experiment, Mitalipov and colleagues extracted DNA from the nucleus of monkey eggs. They then transplanted it into the eggs from other females, who bore healthy mitochondrial DNA, but from which the nuclear DNA was removed.

They later fertilized the eggs in the lab and transferred 15 resulting embryos into the wombs of nine other females. Four healthy macaque monkeys were born out of which two were twins named Mito and Tracker. The other two were Spindler and Spindy.

Benefits of this medical advancement
Many scientists find the research results quite impressive. For them, this is the breakthrough that can help many families get rid of varieties of disorders caused by defects in genetic material known as mitochondrial DNA.

"This is of great importance. This approach will be beneficial to many families," said Jan Smeitink, a professor of mitochondrial medicine at Radboud University Nijmegen in the Netherlands.

Professor Robin Lovell-Badge of the National Institute for Medical Research in London said, “These are proof-of-principle experiments suggesting that transfer of the nuclear genetic material from one egg to another may be a valid way to avoid the devastating problems associated with the inheritance of abnormal mitochondria that are present in the eggs of some women.”

Mitalipov said that this technology can apply to humans “pretty quickly”; soon as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) nodes for trying it on human eggs.

The negatives
Along with the positives, the creation of the offspring born with the DNA from two mothers and one father has to face legal, medical, as well as social objections.

"With this you have potentially three genetic parents," said David Magnus, director of Stanford University's Center for Biomedical Ethics. "This will create the potential for legal and social conflicts."

Mitalipov himself pointed out the medical intricacies involved, "We realize this is not just a simple form of gene therapy. This type of gene therapy involves replacing genes in the germline which of course will be transmitted to next generations, which is a concern.

"However, we're talking about patients and birth defects that cause terrible diseases due to these gene mutations. So the only way to prevent these birth defects is to replace these genes."

Several experts want the research to be tried on people only after much safety research has been undertaken.

"The number one concern I would have is safety," said Mark Rothstein, a bioethicist at the University of Louisville. "There's always a concern that a facility might jump the gun and try to put it into use before safety has been established."

More on mitochondrial DNA
Mitochondrial DNA is found inside the cells called mitochondria, which are referred to as the "power house" of the cells, as they provide energy for their growth.

Defects in mitochondrial DNA, reported in 1 in 6,500 births annually in U.S., can cause variety of disorders in the human body, including stunted growth, muscle weakness, blindness, deafness, mental retardation, diabetes, seizures and dementia.

Defects in this DNA can even lead to some common disorders like Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and Huntington's diseases.

The research has been published Wednesday in the journal Nature.