Science: Yes to Cloning from Two Mothers

Society | September 9, 2005, Friday // 00:00

UK scientists have got permission to clone a human embryo that will have genetic material from two mothers, BBC reported.

The Newcastle University team will transfer the nucleus of a human embryo made by one man and woman into an unfertilized egg from another woman.

The scientific breakthrough aims to prevent mothers from passing certain genetic diseases on to their unborn babies.

One unique feature of mitochondria is that they have there own DNA, mitochondrial DNA, which is inherited from the mother only. If this DNA is faulty, the mitochondrial diseases occur. At present no treatment for mitochondrial diseases exists.

Such diseases, collectively called mitochondrial diseases, arise from DNA found outside the nucleus and thus inherited separately from DNA in the nucleus.

Studies in mice show it is possible to prevent the transmission of mitochondrial disease by moving the early nucleus from a fertilized egg containing bad mitochondria to another unfertilized egg, which only contains good mitochondria.

Those organs in the body that require a lot of energy to work properly, such as the brain, heart and kidney, are particularly dependent on well functioning mitochondria - the 'powerhouse' of the cell, producing most of the energy that we need to grow and live.

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