Cytoplasmic Transfer - Risks

Risks

Though cytoplasmic transfer does not involve the transfer of nuclear DNA, there may still be a small amount of mitochondrial DNA present from the donor. Children conceived through this process occasionally test positive for genetic material from three parents. It is therefore arguably the first example of germ line genetic modification (manipulation that affects future generations) of humans. Because of the chance for mitochondrial DNA transfer, the embryo may also be exposed to numerous diseases connected with mitochondrial DNA such as diabetes, Lou Gehrig's disease, and pervasive developmental disorders. There is much concern associated with the potential transfer of mitochondrial DNA and its unknown interaction with the foreign DNA of the recipient egg. There is also no data as to the health of maturing children conceived through cytoplasmic transfer, the first successful birth having occurred in 1997 at Saint Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston, New Jersey as a result of procedure performed by The Institute for Reproductive Medicine and Science.