UK Scientists Create a Three-Parent Embryo

Troll-Under-D'Bridge writes "The BBC reports that British scientists have manufactured embryos containing genetic material from a man and two women. Under the procedure developed by scientists from Newcastle University, the nuclei from a father's sperm and a mother's egg are transferred into a second woman's egg 'from which the nucleus had been removed, but which retained its mitochondria.' The research, which may 'help mothers with rare genetic disorders have healthy children,' used embryos left over from in-vitro fertilization treatment."

Comments

I hate to be the messenger who says it, but...

[Hurricane78]

The research, which may 'help mothers with rare genetic disorders have healthy children,' used embryos left over from in-vitro fertilization treatment.

No it doesn’t. Since it’s not their child. They are just the breeding machine. Not very cool, if you ask me. But if you want to lie to yourself... it should “work” for people who can stand being superstitious/religious/schizophrenic.

Also, why do I have to be the one who states the obvious: Maybe there is a reason, that people with genetic disorders can’t have children? Maybe it’s not cruel, but just the normal way of life and natural selection? Maybe it’s just like someone not getting a GF, because he’s got some problem...
Yes, it’s hard, if you are born with a genetic disorder or get a disease that makes is impossible for you to reproduce. I can definitely emphasize with that situation. You’re basically “the bad seed” to nature.
But I’m not saying we should just kill people who are like that off. We’re not the Nazis. We’re not in Gattaca.
But what we can do, is fix those disorders and diseases. BUT, only if the one having them wants it so. Because in nature, a mutation has no “good” or “bad” label. Some mutations are GOOD. Some diseases turn out to be an advantage.
So we should concentrate on offering custom gene therapies to everyone equally, and letting people choose if they consider it a disadvantage.
This would even allow us to accelerate natural selection without actually “selecting” any people out (to die). Which, I think, would be a pinnacle of human medicine.