UK Scientists to Create Embryo From Two Women

An anonymous reader wrote to mention a BBC story about a UK research group that has been given permission to create a human embryo with genetic material from two women. From the article: "The groundbreaking work aims to prevent mothers from passing certain genetic diseases on to their unborn babies. The researchers are focusing on a group of conditions called mitochondrial myopathy, which include types of muscular dystrophy. These cause muscle weakness and wasting, making it difficult to move normally - some may need to use a wheelchair. At present no treatment for these exists, although things can be done to help with the symptoms. "

Comments

Cytoplasm from one, nucleus from the other

[Tau Zero]

There's DNA in the mitochrondria, which is defective in the nucleus-donor egg but (hopefully) good in the cytoplasm-donor egg. Think of it as trying to replace a chromosome with a defective gene, made easier because this chromosome isn't in the nucleus.

Curiously, the DNA in the mitochondria use a slightly different genetic code than our nuclear DNA does; genes have moved from the mitochondria to the nucleus over time, but the process is not complete. It's believed that mitochondria come from an ancient endosymbiosis event.