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SPINDLE NUCLEAR TRANSFER

LITERAL REVIEW
Ernestina De Albino

NOVEMBER 7, 2018
UNIVERSITY OF TEVAS AT EL PASO
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According to the Council for Responsible genetics (CRG), “Mitochondrial disease is a

genetic disorder that can cause a variety of malfunctions throughout the body, including stunted

growth, and increased risk of infection, diabetes, disease of heart, liver and kidneys, visual and

auditory deficits, and loss of coordination and muscle weakness, various neurological problems,

and seizures.” The DNA of the nucleus contained in all our cells is different than that found in

the mitochondria. New scientific methods have developed a possible procedure in which these

two types of DNA can be separated to eliminate Mitochondrial diseases within and egg or sperm

before conception the procedure, benefits and downfalls, as well as the ethical views on this

procedure will be further discussed. Unless the public has a clear understanding of the effects on

not only the health of a person, but also on the scientific fields of study, an honest opinion cannot

be formed.

“Spindle Nuclear Transfer”

The procedure is known as, “Spindle Nuclear Transfer” and as explained in the scientific

article Three- Parent IVF: Gene Replacement for the Prevention of Inherited Mitochondrial

Diseases, “Genetic counseling is important to explain the genetic risks involved in spontaneous

or assisted reproduction and the limits of prenatal and preimplantation testing.” Marking this as

the first step of this medical process. The following step as discussed in the article involves

finding a donor of an egg. Because mitochondrial DNA is only passed down by the mother a

female donor is needed, this donor should not have any lineage of major mitochondrial diseases.

Micromanipulation is the most relevant technique used in the process of removing the genetic

material and exchanging it from one egg to the other. This procedure is different from previously

used procedures such as Pronuclear Transfer and Cytoplasmic, apart from the different material

being transferred the transfer takes place when the eggs are still unfertilized. Preparing both the
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mother’s and donor’s egg for extraction is a crucial step that takes time and special treatment as

described by Dr. Harari in the article The Best Guide for IVF Egg Retrieval Process. For both

eggs to be ready for retrieval from the follicles in the patients’ ovaries a series of follicle

stimulating hormone (FHS) or luteinizing hormone (LH) injections must be administer. The

patients’ physician will indicate which out of these is best suitable for them, in occasions a

combination of both might be necessary. Another medication is then administered within 8-14

days after the first hormonal injections, through a vaginal ultrasound or blood test your doctor

tracks the growth of the eggs. Once the eggs have reached a diameter of 15-20mm they are ready

for retrieval steps are the following,

“1. You will be sedated and given pain medication, most women don’t remember

anything when they wake up.

2. A transvaginal ultrasound probe is inserted into your vagina to identify follicles. Then

a thin needle is inserted into an ultrasound guide to go through the vagina and into the

follicles to retrieve the eggs.

3. The eggs are removed from the follicles through a needle connected to a suction

device.”- The Best Guide for IVF Egg Retrieval Process

The mother and donor eggs will then be taken to the labrotory where the process of “Spindle

Nuclear Transfer” will continue to take place. After incubation the spindle is removed from both

eggs and the spindle with the healthy mitochondrion’s is placed in the egg of the mother. The

egg is fertilized by the sperm of the father and inserted as in, In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) into the

mother or surrogate mother.

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Benefits

The greatest advantage by which the procedure is efficient is the actual location of the

two separate DNAs. The Council for Responsible Genetics in the article Human Genetic

Engineering Current Science and Ethical Implications further explain how these two different

types of DNA make this process unique in many ways. It keeps being questioned how this

procedure is different from IVF, and the answer takes us to the second advantage of this

procedure. Because mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is in a separate compartment than nucleic

DNA, scientist can eliminate the unhealthy mitochondrial DNA and keep the significant DNA of

both parents. Therefore, the offspring will inherit the father’s and mother’s characteristics, but

not their mitochondrial diseases. There is currently no cure to mitochondrial disease therefore

“Spindle Nuclear Transfer” has generated a sense of hope to those parents who parish for the

health of their future children.

Downfalls

Although the science of “Spindle Nuclear Transfer” sounds promising, its greatest

downfall is that because of insufficient trials with humans most of the possible complications are

unknown. Trials with mice, hamsters, and monkeys have resulted in the birth of a healthy

offspring. The problem of insufficient human trials come from the legal implications that have

been put upon them. ScienceLine magazine published the article “A Three-parent baby? Not

really.” In December 12, 2016 the following was extracted,

“Congress passed a bill in 1996 prohibiting research that involves manipulating

human embryos. This means that federal agencies cannot approve or fund

research techniques like spindle nuclear transfer.

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The conversation revived in February 2014, when the United Kingdom

considered whether to approve the technique, which it eventually did. The U.S.

Food and Drug Administration also held a two-day meeting on the topic but

decided that research efforts would not move forward. “The conclusion at the end

of the [U.S.] hearing was that these methods were not ready, and that there was

not sufficient evidence of safety,” says Marcy Carnovsky, director of the Center

for Genetics and Society, a genetics watchdog organization.”- ScienceLine

Magazine.

Although many countries have approved the procedure, the U.S researches continue to look at

even the smallest complication. One of these being that during the extraction and transferring of

the nucleic DNA from the egg containing unhealthy mitochondria to the healthy egg, some of the

unhealthy mitochondria can be carried along with the egg. This could potentially generate yet

greater diseases in the infant, that could cause their death. Also, the extraction of the nucleus can

result in damage to the chromosomes of the child that could worsen their conditions. Without

enough trials though the U.S will continue to be oblivious to what could be the greatest

discoveries in the world.

Ethical Views

The idea of altering genetics is unappealing to many, in the YouTube video “The Ethics

of Genetically Engineered Children”, the director of Bioethics at the University of Pennsylvania,

Arthur Caplan, expresses his major concerns regarding this subject. One of these being the

neglect that would rise towards those children whose parents chose not to follow these

procedures and continue to have disabilities. As a society he explains, we would blame the
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parents for making “wrong choices “. The idealistic ideas of perfection would increase to

unmanageable levels. It could start with removing diseases, but it could lead to parents designing

their children as they want. What would happen to diversity then? What would be of those who

do not have the means to create perfect children? Would the value of person depend yet more

than it does already on beauty? “The Ethics of Changing Human DNA Via Gene Editing, with

Siddhartha Mukherjee” is yet another YouTube video in which the author of the book The Gene:

An Intimate History discusses the primary goals of genetic modifications. It was researched

initially by the Chinese in attempt to help those who were frighten by the content of their genetic

material and the diseases that would come to their children, holding them back from reproducing

and happiness. As the idea spread across the world it came to the ears of one of the most

idealistic and malignant population during the 1930’s, the Nazi Germany. They hoped to cleanse

all impurity from earth in order to achieve their perfect race, through such procedure like

“Spindle Nuclear Transfer’ this could have been achieved. As Caplan suggest regulations and

policies must be made to stop this from occurring and as Mukherjee explains we must remember

the history of the subject.

The opinion of a person is shaped by many factors, some of these involved being

informed about the subject, knowing the beneficial factors as well as the risks of the idea

involved. In this case we have discussed the procedures involving “Spindle Nuclear Transfer” as

well as the benefits. Such as healthier children with longer life’s, yet the downfalls that where

also discussed seem to contradict the benefits. Where do we stand regarding the subject then?

Well most of all our opinions are shaped by the opinions of others as well, but in order to prevent

a bandwagon effect, we must inform ourselves about certain subjects in this case the “Spindle
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Nuclear Transfer”. Then having all the crucial information, we can decide with our own ethical

views whether it is right or not.

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References

Council for Responsible Genetics. (n.d.). Human Genetic Engineering Current Science

and Ethical Implications. Retrieved November 7, 2018, from

http://www.councilforresponsiblegenetics.org/pagedocuments/yn3rbrq4go.pdf

Amato, P., Tachibana, M., Sparman, M., & Mitalipov, S. (2014). Three-parent in vitro

fertilization: Gene replacement for the prevention of inherited mitochondrial diseases. Fertility

and Sterility,101(1), 31-35. doi:10.1016/j.fertnstert.2013.11.030

A three-parent baby? Not really. (2016, December 28). Retrieved from

https://scienceline.org/2016/12/a-three-parent-baby-not-really/

IVF Egg Retrieval Process: Here is All You Need to Know. (2018, October 25).

Retrieved from https://fertile.com/egg-retrieval-process/6-step-guide-ivf-egg-retrieval-process/

Think, B. (2016, May 24). The Ethics of Changing Human DNA Via Gene Editing, with

Siddhartha Mukherjee. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSy8KVXRgKM

F. (2008, December 01). The Ethics of Genetically Engineering Children - Arthur

Caplan. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHQ7bUAQVuE

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