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Archiver > GENEALOGY-DNA > 2001-05 > 0989042315


From: Richard Gethmann <>
Subject: Re: [DNA] children with altered DNA
Date: Sat, 05 May 2001 01:58:40 -0400
References: <6d.12daaf23.2816bcc0@aol.com> <5.1.0.14.2.20010505012017.00aab620@64.33.48.235>


I agree, this has more hype to it than substance. From the manner and order
that the information is presented, it looks to me like the author wants to
make this look more spectacular than it really is.

From what I can tell, what they did was to transplant some mitochondria from
a donor cell to the egg, so the children should have a mixed population of
mitochondria. It will be interesting to see if the mitochondrial population
within each of the cells remains a mixed population, or if one type will
eventually replace the other. And, if any of the children are males, then
none of their mitochondria will be transmitted to their offspring.

Unfortunately, this is going to fuel the arguments for further restricting
this type of research.

Finally, for what it worth, I THINK that the Institute for Reproductive
Medicine and Science of St Barnabas in New Jersey is part of the medical
school in St Barnabas and even though it is located in New Jersey, it is
technically not part of any US research institute.

Dick



Paul Cuni wrote:

> I'm reposting this with a corrected subject!
>
> Some of you may have heard the news story about the children with 2
> mother's and altered DNA born in New Jersey in 1997 and made public today.
> Looks a bit more hyped than the reality is that just thier mtDNA is from
> the 2nd mother.
>
> http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/sci/tech/newsid_1312000/1312708.stm
>
> ==============================
> Ancestry.com Genealogical Databases
> http://www.ancestry.com/rd/rwlist2.asp
> Search over 2500 databases with one easy query!

--
****************************************
RC Gethmann

****************************************
When you have eliminated the impossible,
whatever remains, however improbable,
must be the truth
A. Conan Doyle


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