The world’s first successful attempt at creating genetically modified human embryos is reported to have been carried out by a team of scientists in the United States.
A team led by Dr Shoukhrat Mitalipov, director of the Centre for Embryonic Cell and Gene Therapy at Oregon Health and Science University, have successfully modified DNA in human embryos according to a report in MIT Technology Review.
It is believed that Dr Mitalipov has ‘corrected’ defective genes that cause inherited diseases. However, a spokesperson for the university has declined to comment, stating that a report containing the findings remains under embargo.
In May 2013, Dr Mitalipov was the first scientist in the world to demonstrate the successful use of somatic cell nuclear transfer, or SCNT, to produce human embryonic stem cells from an individual’s skin cell. That scientific breakthrough was just one of a six-year chain of discoveries that included his 2007 work demonstrating the nuclear transfer method to create embryonic stem cells from a non-human primate.
Scientists at OHSU have also previously demonstrated that SCNT allows replacement of mutated (mitochondrial) genes with healthy donor egg mitochondria while retaining the original cell’s nucleus.
The team’s controversial work offers hope to those fearful of passing on a genetically inherited disease to their children. However, critics argue that that the modification of human embryos could open the floodgates to an era of so-called “designer babies”, leading to parents specifying the traits they want their children to have.
