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from the mothers-day-just-got-more-expensive dept.
The BBC reports that three-person IVF will soon be legal in the United Kingdom. The procedure involves replacing mitochondrial DNA in an embryo from that of a second woman in order to eliminate deadly mitochondrial genetic disorders. Alana Saarinen was successfully conceived in the U.S. using the procedure back in 2000, but the FDA banned ooplasm transfer in 2001.
The UK has now become the first country to approve laws to allow the creation of babies from three people. The modified version of IVF has passed its final legislative obstacle after being approved by the House of Lords. The fertility regulator will now decide how to license the procedure to prevent babies inheriting deadly genetic diseases. The first baby could be born as early as 2016. A large majority of MPs in the House of Commons approved "three-person babies" earlier this month. The House of Lords tonight rejected an attempt to block the plan by a majority of 232. Estimates suggest 150 couples would be suitable to have babies through the technique each year.
Additional coverage at Wired UK and The Guardian.
Related: UK Parliament Gives Three-"Source" IVF the Go-Ahead.
(Score: 2, Disagree) by SuperCharlie on Thursday February 26 2015, @08:47PM
The most techy important story since the beginning of the Internet and close to 2 hours later we are talking about 3-person babies. You are really pushing the limits of why I come here.
(Score: 4, Touché) by bob_super on Thursday February 26 2015, @09:10PM
Well, it will only be the most important story of the commercial internet after another few appeals, lawsuits, and a final decision from a bunch of old robed-but-not-wigged ones.
And it's been discussed here at least five times, while the 3-people IVF is only on its second pass. :-)
(Score: 2, Insightful) by mr_mischief on Thursday February 26 2015, @09:15PM
I think overcoming a deadly disorder and allowing people to have healthy children is pretty important technology.
(Score: 2) by isostatic on Thursday February 26 2015, @09:54PM
It is, but I wouldn't classify this as the "most important story since the 80s.
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Thursday February 26 2015, @10:21PM
<sarcasm>Not more important than my ability to watch NetFlix without paying an arm and leg, no.</sarcasm>
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0
(Score: 2) by takyon on Thursday February 26 2015, @09:30PM
This is an important science/health/ethics story.
Here's the story you couldn't wait a few hours for:
https://soylentnews.org/article.pl?sid=15/02/26/203225 [soylentnews.org]
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 3, Insightful) by isostatic on Thursday February 26 2015, @10:10PM
That can't be it, a minor legislative move that doesn't affect 95% of the internet?
Egypt going offline in 2011, that was a big internet story. Pakistan stealing youtube's networks via BGP - big story. Heartbleed - big story.
(Score: 2) by Hartree on Friday February 27 2015, @12:51AM
"since the beginning of the Internet"
Sorry, but a ruling by the FCC that may get overturned or modified in court and won't have any impact on much of the existing net is NOT the biggest techie story since October 29th, 1969.
(Score: 2) by isostatic on Friday February 27 2015, @12:01PM
The "beginning of the net" has several arguable beginnings. Plans for an interconnected network in the 60s, Arpanet in 1969, the 1980s which saw the introduction of DNS, IPv4, and the growth of commercial connections, the web in the early 90s, Eternal September, CIDR in 1994.
But yes, there's been plenty of bigger stories in the last 12 months than this vote, even if you look at it from a US centric viewpoint.