From cellular reprogramming to human genetic modification
A team of stem cell researchers has produced precursors to gametes from induced pluripotent stem (or iPS) cells, which in turn are reprogrammed from normal body cells. The health blog of the Los Angeles Times reports on an upcoming scientific paper from a lab at the University of California, Los Angeles.
My colleague Marcy Darnovsky has previously expressed concerns (1 [PDF], 2) about artificial gametes, particularly around safety issues and the promotion to gays and lesbians of extreme - and risky - methods of assisted reproduction. This latest development raises another: While iPS cells may resolve quandaries about embryo destruction and egg acquisition, they could also be a path towards human genetic modification. Under the present technology, in fact, iPS cells are produced via genetic modification. Of course, any proposals to create babies through artificial gametes, especially with the current genetic modification and viral vector methods, are a long way off. But when, and if, they come, let's hope that policies to prevent potential abuses are in place.
[HT to AJOB Blog.]