Katherine Patton

Bio294

Professor Rhinehart-Kim

Bioethics assignment: Mitochondrial Replacement Therapy

Mitochondrial replacement therapy has been the subject of debate both in the public eye, as well as in academic and scientific settings. Many beckon the question whether it is immoral, or could potentially escalate to people abusing the therapy in search of “designer babies”- offspring designed to have certain characteristics, not for health or for longevity, but to satisfy the parents’ wishes for aesthetics. In my opinion, I see no point in barring this therapy from those seeking it- as I believe it is known that if one has money to do something, there will be a way found via funding, regardless of the legality. If something is barred for the average person, it is likely not barred from the extremely wealthy. Mitochondrial DNA also is proven (and thought of) to be responsible for a myriad of genetic diseases. By giving couples the ability to change a fetus’ mitochondrial DNA, these devastating diseases can be prevented. 

Mitochondrial DNA replacement therapy involves replacing target mitochondrial DNA with healthy Donor DNA. There are methods that allow replacement for mitochondrial DNA before fertilization (spindle transfer) and after fertilization ( Pronuclear transfer). Spindle transfer takes place before fertilization of an embryo, and involves removing the nuclear spindle from both eggs being used, and inserting the donor spindle inside the Mother’s egg, which is then fertilized with the donor sperm. In the case of a pronuclear transfer, a parent’s zygote is put inside a donor’s enucleated zygote, after fertilization. This allows the genetics of three different people to be used to create offspring. 

As previously stated, Mitochondrial replacement therapy involves the genetics of three different parents. For this reason, some critique against the therapy is that it is “unnatural”. It is necessary to recognize that “appeal to nature” is a logical fallacy, and the refusal of procedures deemed unnatural is often used in a manner that is contradictory, as life saving surgeries, glasses, IVF, joint replacements, and vision correcting procedures are also considered unnatural by many. As such, “appeal to nature” is often not a sufficient main argument. Building off this counter argument, many critics of the therapy cite the uncertainty in results, especially for the longevity and long term health of the resulting offspring. It can certainly be argued that it is immoral to test on animals and humans, and while I agree, it is also necessary to understand that some women with mitochondrial disorders may knowingly have children regardless of whether they pass their disorder to their child. I believe that because of this, the data can be collected by the resulting human offspring by the parents that elect for this therapy. Reproduction is a biological urge that animals have, and many people knowingly choose to have children with genetic disorders. It is very possible that it is in the best interest of the child that this therapy is developed and accessible to mothers carrying mitochondrial disorders that are set on having children. Another frequent argument is religion, and the fact that three parents allow LGBTQ+ individuals to have children that carry a portion of their (or a relative’s) DNA. I believe that the people who hold such beliefs are opposed to progress, and let their disgust and hate in lifestyles’ that don’t align with theirs cloud their judgement, and override their ability to use logic and reason. Homophobic, transphobic, and arguments based on subjective religion have no place in dictating how science should be used to improve the happiness and health for others- especially when said others have little to no impact on the everyday lives of the people around them for the way they choose to live. 

Craven, Lyndsey et al. “Scientific and Ethical Issues in Mitochondrial Donation.” The New bioethics : a multidisciplinary journal of biotechnology and the body vol. 24,1 (2018): 57-73. doi:10.1080/20502877.2018.1440725

Faria, Rúben et al. “Delivery Systems for Mitochondrial Gene Therapy: A Review.” Pharmaceutics vol. 15,2 572. 8 Feb. 2023, doi:10.3390/pharmaceutics15020572