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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) 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.