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

There are enough people!

[Jump]

I do not understand why such 'scientists' or 'doctors' even try this. Isn't earth already overpopulated? We need to find ways to reduce population not increase it.

Read what Isaac Asimov had to say about his:
http://www.emi.u-bordeaux.fr/public/asimov/saveear th.html

Or in short:

Overpopulation -> polution -> climate change -> New Orleans

Quote: "By 2000 A.D., the carbon dioxide content of the air may have increased by one third beyond today's content. This won't interfere with our breathing noticeably, but it will conserve more of the heat Earth receives from the sun so that Earth's average temperature will go up somewhat. This will change the weather pattern, probably for the worse, and increase the rate at which the polar ice-caps melt, raising the sea-level noticeably and causing coastal areas to suffer more from high tides and storms - in short, the greenhouse effect."

Re:There are enough people!

[mike nwdw.]

Isn't earth already overpopulated? We need to find ways to reduce population not increase it.

Umm.... embrace the Slashdot Lifestyle(TM)? You know, loserdom and faggotry. It turn people into shut-ins, plus the ones who are not losers will not reproduce because they are homos. Also increase the influx of black and brown people into our communities ought to keep ./'ers from leaving their basements or trying to hit on women (since women luv dat big blak diq).

With low birth rates in first world countries, I think most Japanese men and European-Americans have already embraced the Slashdot Lifestyle(TM)!

Awesome

[papasui]

I for one welcome are new Jedi/Sith overlords...oh mitochondrias from two women... I for one welcome are new dyke overlords!

Go eugenics!

[myowntrueself]

Brave New World, here we come

I always wanted to play 'find the zipper'!

Next it will be 'better to end than mend', rocket planes and personal 'epsilon' servants with no brain to speak of. I just hope I qualify for 'beta' or better! Sod being a gamma...

Seriously though, the human race *is* rapidly approaching that choice-point where we either embrace eugenics or go with natural reproduction and just live with genetic disorders.

In a sense, those genetic disorders are our species insurance for the future.

Evolution is very much a search through genetic space and we never really know what it will turn up.

The thing is, the more genetic diversity your population can support, the more chances of finding favorable mutations.

If we were able to wipe out genetic 'defects' we would also reduce the diversity of the evolutionary search space thereby reducing the possible ways that future generations might be able to respond to a changing universe.

We would be locking ourselves into the use of technology to control our evolution and, frankly, I don't believe we have enough of a clue about evolution and genetics to risk that at this early stage.

We may NOT do evil so that good may result from it

[bluevector]

We may NOT do evil so that good may result from it . . .

DONUM VITAE
(translated "The Gift of Life")

CONGREGATION FOR THE DOCTRINE OF THE FAITH

INSTRUCTION ON RESPECT FOR HUMAN LIFE IN ITS ORIGIN AND ON THE DIGNITY OF PROCREATION

REPLIES TO CERTAIN QUESTIONS OF THE DAY

FOREWORD

The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith has been approached by various Episcopal Conferences or individual Bishops, by theologians, doctors and scientists, concerning biomedical techniques which make it possible to intervene in the initial phase of the life of a human being and in the very processes of procreation and their conformity with the principles of Catholic morality. The present Instruction, which is the result of wide consultation and in particular of a careful evaluation of the declarations made by Episcopates, does not intend to repeat all the Church's teaching on the dignity of human life as it originates and on procreation, but to offer, in the light of the previous teaching of the Magisterium, some specific replies to the main questions being asked in this regard. The exposition is arranged as follows: an introduction will recall the fundamental principles, of an anthropological and moral character, which are necessary for a proper evaluation of the problems and for working out replies to those questions; the first part will have as its subject respect for the human being from the first moment of his or her existence; the second part will deal with the moral questions raised by technical interventions on human procreation; the third part will offer some orientations on the relationships between moral law and civil law in terms of the respect due to human embryos and foetuses* and as regards the legitimacy of techniques of artificial procreation.

* The terms "zygote", "pre-embryo", "embryo" and "foetus" can indicate in the vocabulary of biology successive stages of the development of a human being. The present Instruction makes free use of these terms, attributing to them an identical ethical relevance, in order to designate the result (whether visible or not) of human generation, from the first moment of its existence until birth. The reason for this usage is clarified by the text (cf I, 1).

INTRODUCTION

1. BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH AND THE TEACHING OF THE CHURCH

The gift of life which God the Creator and Father has entrusted to man calls him to appreciate the inestimable value of what he has been given and to take responsibility for it: this fundamental principle must be placed at the centre of one's reflection in order to clarify and solve the moral problems raised by artificial interventions on life as it originates and on the processes of procreation. Thanks to the progress of the biological and medical sciences, man has at his disposal ever more effective therapeutic resources; but he can also acquire new powers, with unforeseeable consequences, over human life at its very beginning and in its first stages. Various procedures now make it possible to intervene not only in order to assist but also to dominate the processes of procreation. These techniques can enable man to "take in hand his own destiny", but they also expose him "to the temptation to go beyond the limits of a reasonable dominion over nature".(1) They might constitute progress in the service of man, but they also involve serious risks. Many people are therefore expressing an urgent appeal that in interventions on procreation the values and rights of the human person be safeguarded. Requests for clarification and guidance are coming not only from the faithful