First GM embryos to be made in British lab
Go-ahead offers new hope for women who suffer miscarriages
BRITISH scientists have been given the go-ahead to genetically modify human embryos,
The world- f i rst ruling will allow researchers working at a London lab to alter the DNA of embryos when they are only a day old.
The scientists say that learning more about the critical first stages of life will provide vital information about why some women are infertile or miscarry, and so help more couples become parents.
But opponents say the landmark decision by Britain’s fertility regulator opens the door to the creation of designer babies, made to order by hair or eye colour.
They argue that, while the law will not allow this at first, the knowledge gained from the initial experiments could one day be used to alter embryos which would then be implanted into women’s wombs.
The row centres around plans by scientists at the Francis Crick Institute to use a cutting-edge technique called Crispr to turn off genes in embryos when they are a day old.
It is hoped that blocking the genes one by one will reveal which are key to the development of a healthy embryo.
The information gained could help explain why so few fertilised eggs go on to make a baby. Currently, fewer than half of eggs live for a week after fertilisation – and only one in eight lead to a pregnancy that lasts at least three months. If scientists know more about what goes wrong then this could lead to IVF techniques being improved.
Researcher Kathy Niakan said: ‘The reason this is so important is that miscarriages and infertility are unfortunately extremely common but they are not very well understood. One of the main aims is to understand these very early stages of human development.’
She added: ‘We believe this research could lead to improvements in fertility treatment, provide a really fundamental insight into some of the causes of miscarriage and a much deeper understanding of the earliest stages of human life.’
Embryos have only been genetically ‘edited’ once before, in China last year, in a process that was met with widespread condemnation.
The British decision is the first to go through a proper regulatory system. Work could start next month and Britain’s first GM embryos may be here by the summer.
The embryos used will have been donated by women who had some left over after going through IVF treatment. They will only be allowed to grow until they are a week old before being destroyed. Up to 120 donated embryos will be used initially in the study of four genes and the project may be extended.
Critics have accused the Human Fertilisation & Embryology Authority (HFEA) of a ‘tick box culture’ and of ‘arrogantly’ deciding to go ahead with the ruling before a report from an influential group of bioethicists is published.
But Professor Robin LovellBadge, a leading geneticist who also works at the Crick Institute, said he expects more British scientists to apply to the HFEA for permission to carry out similar work and create GM embryos.
He added that the work will ‘help inform debate’ about whether it is safe and practical to use the technique to correct the defects behind genetic diseases in the womb.
British law prevents GM embryos from being implanted in a woman’s womb – although critics claim that by letting the ‘gene out of the bottle’, Britain is coming closer to fullblown designer babies.
The technique used is so powerful that it could correct the defects that lead to cystic fibrosis and other genetic diseases. Embryos could be modified to make people resistant to HIV or malaria or cut their risk of Alzheimer’s disease. But any changes to the DNA, i ncluding mistakes, would be passed on to future generations.
Nobel prizewinner Sir Paul Nurse, director of the Crick Institute, said
‘In the realm of science fiction’
the study will ‘enhance our understanding of IVF success rates’.
Professor Bruce Whitelaw, an Edinburgh University expert in genetics, insisted: ‘This project will add to the basic scientific knowledge needed for devising strategies to assist infertile couples and reduce the anguish of miscarriage.’
But bioethicist Dr Trevor Stammers, of St Mary’s University in London, said: ‘Though in the realm of science fiction at present, if gene- editing techniques are shown to work safely, there would be inevitable pressure for designer babies.’
Sarah Chan, of Edinburgh University’s Usher Institute for Popula- tion Health Sciences and Informatics, welcomed the HFEA’s decision to permit the use of genome editing in research on human embryos.
She said: ‘The decision is the outcome of a robust regulatory process involving careful consideration and ethical deliberation. This is precisely why this news should not raise concerns about designer babies.
‘We know that many miscarriages are caused by problems during early embryonic development, so studying this process may help scientists to understand why miscarriages occur and therefore be able to take steps to prevent them.’