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Meet the world’s first baby born from the DNA of 3 parents
Posted on 9/28/16 at 1:20 pm
Posted on 9/28/16 at 1:20 pm
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The parents are two from Jordan and one from Mexico. The doctors are American.
The procedure is illegal in the U.S. and Jordan. The Jordanian couple had previously lost two children to Leigh Syndrome which the Jordanian woman carries in her mitochondrial DNA.
An egg was donated by a Mexican woman. Her DNA was removed from the egg, leaving the mitochondrial DNA. Then the DNA from the Jordanian woman was inserted into the egg. Sperm from the Jordanian man was used to fertilize the hybrid egg.
Implications from the results of this successful pregnancy frighten many people even though it's a straight-forward procedure that merely combines the DNA of three people. I suppose the main fear is that gay couples can now have biological children.
At least for men using surrogate mothers. That would seem to be as simple as this procedure. For lesbians, the DNA in a spermatozoon would have to be replaced by the DNA of a woman. Since spermatozoa are much smaller than eggs, it might not be feasible with current technology.
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A successful mitochondrial donation procedure has resulted in a healthy baby born with DNA from three people.
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The boy, now six-months-old, was conceived using a controversial fertility treatment meant to help people conceive who carry genes for rare diseases. The disease, in this case, is Leigh syndrome, a rare neurological disorder that’s generally fatal. The mother is a carrier for the rare disease, and although she’s healthy, her DNA holds a gene that is later passed on to her children.
The parents are two from Jordan and one from Mexico. The doctors are American.
The procedure is illegal in the U.S. and Jordan. The Jordanian couple had previously lost two children to Leigh Syndrome which the Jordanian woman carries in her mitochondrial DNA.
An egg was donated by a Mexican woman. Her DNA was removed from the egg, leaving the mitochondrial DNA. Then the DNA from the Jordanian woman was inserted into the egg. Sperm from the Jordanian man was used to fertilize the hybrid egg.
Implications from the results of this successful pregnancy frighten many people even though it's a straight-forward procedure that merely combines the DNA of three people. I suppose the main fear is that gay couples can now have biological children.
At least for men using surrogate mothers. That would seem to be as simple as this procedure. For lesbians, the DNA in a spermatozoon would have to be replaced by the DNA of a woman. Since spermatozoa are much smaller than eggs, it might not be feasible with current technology.

This post was edited on 9/28/16 at 1:24 pm
Posted on 9/28/16 at 2:34 pm to Kentucker
Arthur Gütt was just born too soon.
Posted on 9/28/16 at 2:37 pm to Kentucker
It just feels like humanity is going to have a major event very soon.
Posted on 9/28/16 at 4:36 pm to Alahunter
Gütt was the creator of Germany's "Law for the prevention of hereditarily diseased offspring." He was a leader in that country's eugenics program.
I'm sure he would admire the IVF procedure that has produced the little Jordanian boy, if not his ethnicity. After all, Germany was determined to wipe non-Aryan peoples off the earth, beginning with Jews.
I'm sure he would admire the IVF procedure that has produced the little Jordanian boy, if not his ethnicity. After all, Germany was determined to wipe non-Aryan peoples off the earth, beginning with Jews.
This post was edited on 9/28/16 at 4:48 pm
Posted on 9/28/16 at 4:47 pm to StrawsDrawnAtRandom
quote:
It just feels like humanity is going to have a major event very soon.
I think we're having so many major events that new technology such as this is discounted because it's "lost in the crowd." It rivals cloning for the effect it will have.
If the DNA of a man can be extracted from one of his spermatozoa, then the gates fly open concerning who can produce children. Anyone, of almost any age, will be able to contribute to the output of a child.
Designer children may be much closer than we think.
Posted on 9/28/16 at 5:19 pm to Kentucker
Huxley tried to warn us.
I wonder if a study could be done on the types of humans who want to alter the essence of humanity.
I'd bet it all that they're unhappy with the genetics they were given.
I wonder if a study could be done on the types of humans who want to alter the essence of humanity.
I'd bet it all that they're unhappy with the genetics they were given.
Posted on 9/28/16 at 7:19 pm to Kentucker
Genetic procedures like this and CRISPR will change the world so much. They could possibly eliminate disease, reverse aging or create a army of Arnold Schwarzeneggers. 

Posted on 9/28/16 at 7:36 pm to Supreme Tiger
What is "the essence of humanity?"
Posted on 9/28/16 at 7:44 pm to MizzouMiltia
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Genetic procedures like this and CRISPR will change the world so much. They could possibly eliminate disease, reverse aging or create a army of Arnold Schwarzeneggers.
There are so many people on earth that it's difficult to imagine anything changing our trend to over-population. I think the example in my OP illustrates humanity's compulsion to reproduce.
We have a couple who have already produced and lost two children. They resort to manipulation of the wife's DNA in order to produce a healthy offspring that has DNA from each of them, and, of course, the mitochondrial DNA from the third person who donated her egg.
For them this was emotionally preferable over adopting children from the giant pool of impoverished and parentless children of the Middle East. The drive to procreate is incredible.
This post was edited on 9/28/16 at 7:47 pm
Posted on 9/28/16 at 8:13 pm to Kentucker
here is a digitally aged photo of the baby at 45


Posted on 9/28/16 at 9:55 pm to Kentucker
Interesting but makes me wonder what the negatives to this could/would be? There can be nothing that is all positive without the existence or potential for negatives and vice-versa.
Posted on 9/28/16 at 10:07 pm to Mr.Sinister
I don't see any positives to it because it just creates another way for people to have children. With a world population nearing 7.5 billion, we've got too many now. 2 billion of that number are starving or malnourished.
We need A Zika-like virus to come along and sterilize 75-90% of the population so that our numbers drop to a level which allows the earth to sustain itself.
We need A Zika-like virus to come along and sterilize 75-90% of the population so that our numbers drop to a level which allows the earth to sustain itself.
Posted on 9/28/16 at 10:13 pm to Kentucker
quote:
What is "the essence of humanity?"
Exactly.
Perhaps it will be in your next update.
Posted on 9/28/16 at 10:15 pm to Kentucker
I understand that line of thinking.
I was talking more the potential for this to become the norm and have some unforeseen future mutation type scenario. More than likely if it proves viable it will be used by the elite as a way to instill some sort of Elysium type scenario where the elite elevate and the rest of humanity become the "lesser" species.
Its far beyond my realm of knowledge and I like to speculate future scenarios.

I was talking more the potential for this to become the norm and have some unforeseen future mutation type scenario. More than likely if it proves viable it will be used by the elite as a way to instill some sort of Elysium type scenario where the elite elevate and the rest of humanity become the "lesser" species.

Its far beyond my realm of knowledge and I like to speculate future scenarios.

Posted on 9/28/16 at 10:17 pm to Kentucker
I'm glad you don't see this as a positive.
In a joking sense I'm in favor of a global virus or pressing the 'eliminate billions' button because a huge portion of humans are stupid and gross thanks to many inputs.
But I don't buy the over population thing. But I do believe it's overpopulated and unable to sustain itself under the paradigm that has progressed to industrial capitalism.
In a joking sense I'm in favor of a global virus or pressing the 'eliminate billions' button because a huge portion of humans are stupid and gross thanks to many inputs.
But I don't buy the over population thing. But I do believe it's overpopulated and unable to sustain itself under the paradigm that has progressed to industrial capitalism.
Posted on 9/28/16 at 10:31 pm to Kentucker
quote:
I don't see any positives to it because it just creates another way for people to have children. With a world population nearing 7.5 billion, we've got too many now. 2 billion of that number are starving or malnourished.
We need A Zika-like virus to come along and sterilize 75-90% of the population so that our numbers drop to a level which allows the earth to sustain itself.
Solve the poverty issue and birth rates will plummet.
Posted on 9/28/16 at 10:31 pm to Supreme Tiger
My fiancee had an Incident before we met that made it virtually Impossible for her to carry a child from inception to birth. I would give anything to have a son or daughter that is our flesh and blood. Well probably end up adopting one day.
Congrats to the people in the article. I couldn't I Imagine losing 2 kids over something i had no control over
Congrats to the people in the article. I couldn't I Imagine losing 2 kids over something i had no control over
Posted on 9/28/16 at 11:19 pm to Mr.Sinister
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scenario where the elite elevate and the rest of humanity become the "lesser" species.
This describes present-day China very well. About 300 million of China's 1.2 billion people are allowed to live a semi-capitalist life. The remaining 900 million are definitely second class in every sense of the word. China, in my opinion, represents the ultimate fate of humanity unless the human population is reduced by castrophe or war.
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