All About Biology: Future babies = Designer babies?!

What is a “designer baby” you may ask? A designer baby, according to the Oxford Dictionary is: "a baby whose genetic makeup has been artificially selected by genetic engineering combined with InVitro Fertilization to ensure the presence or absence of particular genes or characteristics." Designer babies are the advanced reproductive technologies that allow - mostly everyone to screen embryos for genetic disorders and select healthy embryos. This term is not used by scientists but is usually used by journalists and other Medias to describe the near future by selecting our children’s genes for a much desirable characteristics.

This advanced reproductive technique uses (IVF) InVitro Fertilisation – which is used to fertilize eggs with a sperm from a mother’s body that is put in test-tubes and is passed on to the laboratory. By doing this, this allows doctors and parents to reduce the child’s chance of having a genetic disorder. For now, there are only two types of advanced reproductive technologies on humans - the first one is choosing the type of sperm that will fertilize an egg (this is to determine the genes and the sex of the baby). The second one is called Pre-implantation Genetic Diagnosis or PGD which involves screening the embryos for genetic diseases that will only have selected embryos to be rooted back into the mother’s womb.

Recent scientists show much rapid advances that include human genome which is to modify and change genes. In the near future, we are more likely able to develop a cure to genetic diseases in embryos; but with the replacement of some sections of the DNA with a much healthier DNA. This is referred to as germ line therapy which is carried out on an egg, a sperm or a tiny fertilized embryo. This therapy has already been prepared on animal embryos but in the meantime, it stays illegal for humans. Although, another process called body cell gene therapy has been legal for human that has faulty genes in the cells of a child or an adult to cure diseases such as cystic fibrosis.

Geneticists introduced us into mouse genome which is an additional copy of a gene such as the one known as NR2B, which is a type of glutamate receptor and is known to take part in the development of the brain. Recent techniques of genetic conversion introduce genes at random places in the genome. Many genes have more than one effect. These effects may be accompanied by others of which we become aware only in the future. A lot of the traits that we may want to add or select are usually influenced by multiple genes. A gene may affect intelligence only in combination with other genes.

Parents who use pre-implantation genetic diagnosis to avoid passing on a disease to their child have a collection of embryos created for them by IVF or InVitro Fertilisation. These embryos are grown to the eight-cell stage, where one or two cells are isolated and checked for genetic variants that may be linked with the disease. Then after this, only embryos that lack these variants are introduced into the womb.

Pre-Implantation Genetic Diagnosis or PGD is an expensive procedure that is typically offered to couples that is at risk of having a child suffer from a serious genetic disease. Though, it is said that it does not involve the genetic adaptation of human embryos and can avoid some of the risks – it is not entirely risk-free. Some people fear that the removal of one or two cells from the eight-cell embryos might have allegation for the well-being of people created by PGD. While others replied that the cells of the eight-cell embryos are totipotent, this means that they are undifferentiated and is capable of forming all the cells of the human body.

Another biotechnology is said to enable the selection of children’s characteristics – and this is known as cloning. Cloning by somatic cell nuclear transfer uses a somatic, otherwise body cell from the person to be cloned. The nucleus of this cell is introduced into an egg cell whose own nucleus has been apart. This results to a reconstructed embryo and is then introduced to the mother’s womb. But this way of making the designer babies will not attract parents who place an important value on a genetic connection with their child.

Even if we recognize how somatic cell nuclear transfer might make it possible for us to make designer babies, we are still not ready to create children by cloning. Since there are also major concerns about the health of clones; given that, animal clones suffer from a variety of problems that some scientists come in contact with, such as incomplete reprogramming of somatic cell DNA or the damage that was inflicted by the process of nuclear transfer. And this is not too far away that it might not also happen to a child that is cloned.

So, would you still consider cloning or designing your own babies?! The thought of it may sound a little exciting, since you get to choose what would be the color of thier eyes, hair, etc. And also, what characteristics may they get from their moms and dads. But do you really want to risk this chance of having a baby that is only cloned or made by technology. You may say yes, for now, but later on, you may realize the side effects of doing this. Why can't people be content with what they can only have? Yes, technology definitely makes a huge impact in our lives, but it is still up to us to make that impoartant decision. Even if they are provoking us to make this moves or desicions, we still have our own opinion and choices.

Now, let me leave you with this quote`s:

``It is interesting to note that everyone has a different take on the world, a different opinion - given the same inputs but have completely different outputs. ``
Penelope Fitzgerald

``Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth.``
Marcus Aurelius

"A baby is God's opinion that life should go on."
Carl Sandberg

“A baby will make love stronger, days shorter, nights longer, bankroll smaller, home happier, clothes shabbier, the past forgotten, and the future worth living for”
Unknown