by Anthony Gucciardi
June 29, 2012
from NaturalSociety Website
 

In a developing story, the Daily Mail is now reporting that the very first (admitted) group of genetically modified babies have been ‘created’ in the United States.

The scientists involved reportedly announced the result on the night of June 27^th, stating that 30 babies were born using genetic modification techniques. Furthermore, 2 of the babies tested were found to contain genes from a total of 3 different parents. The experiment also lasted over 3 years or more according to the researchers, which may be one of many.

The ‘GM babies’ were born into women who had trouble conceiving their own children.

In order to ‘birth’ the babies, extra genes from a female donor were inserted into the women’s eggs before they were fertilized. After conception, scientists fingerprinted 2 of the one-year-old children and confirmed that they inherited DNA from 3 adults - one man and 2 women.

What this means is that due to inheriting these extra genes through the genetic modification process, they will now be able to pass them along to their offspring.

In other words, these genetically modified babies - if allowed to mate with non-GM humans - could potentially alter the very genetic coding of generations to come.

Genetecists state that this genetic modification method may one day be used to create babies,

“with extra, desired characteristics such as strength or high intelligence.”

The news comes after it was previously reported by British scientists that scientists were creating human-animal ‘monsters’.

Such reports highlight the fact that rampant genetic experimentation is already taking place on many humans around the world, which has led a large number of scientists to call for new rules regarding the outlandish practice. Chinese scientists have already admittedly inserted human stem cells into goat fetuses, and United States researchers have actively researched the concept of engineering a mouse with human brain cells.

Many experts are now speaking out against the announcement, including leading fertility experts and major organizations.

John Smeaton, national director of the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children, said:

It is a further and very worrying step down the wrong road for humanity.

World's First GM Babies Born
by Michael Hanlon

June 27, 2012

from DailyMail Website

The world's first genetically-modified humans have been created, it was revealed last night.

The disclosure that 30 healthy babies were born after a series of experiments in the United States provoked another furious debate about ethics. So far, two of the babies have been tested and have been found to contain genes from three 'parents'.

Fifteen of the children were born in the past three years as a result of one experimental program at the Institute for Reproductive Medicine and Science of St Barnabas in New Jersey.

The babies were born to women who had problems conceiving. Extra genes from a female donor were inserted into their eggs before they were fertilized in an attempt to enable them to conceive.

Genetic fingerprint tests on two one-year- old children confirm that they have inherited DNA from three adults - two women and one man.

The fact that the children have inherited the extra genes and incorporated them into their 'germline' means that they will, in turn, be able to pass them on to their own offspring.

Altering the human germline - in effect tinkering with the very make-up of our species - is a technique shunned by the vast majority of the world's scientists.

Geneticists fear that one day this method could be used to create new races of humans with extra, desired characteristics such as strength or high intelligence.

Writing in the journal Human Reproduction (Mitochondria in Human Offspring Derived from Ooplasmic Transplantation), the researchers, led by fertility pioneer Professor Jacques Cohen, say that this,

'is the first case of human germline genetic modification resulting in normal healthy children'.

Some experts severely criticized the experiments.

Lord Winston, of the Hammersmith Hospital in West London, told the BBC yesterday:

'Regarding the treatment of the infertile, there is no evidence that this technique is worth doing... I am very surprised that it was even carried out at this stage. It would certainly not be allowed in Britain.'

John Smeaton, national director of the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children, said:

'One has tremendous sympathy for couples who suffer infertility problems. But this seems to be a further illustration of the fact that the whole process of in vitro fertilization as a means of conceiving babies leads to babies being regarded as objects on a production line.

'It is a further and very worrying step down the wrong road for humanity.'

Professor Cohen and his colleagues diagnosed that the women were infertile because they had defects in tiny structures in their egg cells, called mitochondria.

They took eggs from donors and, using a fine needle, sucked some of the internal material - containing 'healthy' mitochondria - and injected it into eggs from the women wanting to conceive.

Because mitochondria contain genes, the babies resulting from the treatment have inherited DNA from both women. These genes can now be passed down the germline along the maternal line.

A spokesman for the Human Fertilization and Embryology Authority (HFEA), which regulates 'assisted reproduction' technology in Britain, said that it would not license the technique here because it involved altering the germline.

Jacques Cohen is regarded as a brilliant but controversial scientist who has pushed the boundaries of assisted reproduction technologies. He developed a technique which allows infertile men to have their own children, by injecting sperm DNA straight into the egg in the lab.

Prior to this, only infertile women were able to conceive using IVF.

Last year, Professor Cohen said that his expertise would allow him to clone children - a prospect treated with horror by the mainstream scientific community.

'It would be an afternoon's work for one of my students,' he said, adding that he had been approached by 'at least three' individuals wishing to create a cloned child, but had turned down their requests.