我们离转基因人类有多远?

2014-10-08 16:59:17来源：可可英语

　　BERKELEY, Calif. — AN advisory committee of theFood and Drug Administration is set to begin twodays of meetings tomorrow to consider radicalbiological procedures that, if successful, wouldproduce genetically modified human beings. Thisis a dangerous step. These techniques would changeevery cell in the bodies of children born as a resultof their use, and these alterations would be passeddown to future generations.

　　加利福尼亚州伯克利——食品与药品管理局(Food andDrug Administration，简称FDA)的一个顾问委员会定于明天开始一个为期两天的会议，对一种全新的生物手段加以考量，这种手段一旦成功，将产生经过基因修改的人类。这是危险的一步。这些技术将改变一个新生儿全身上下的每一个细胞，其后代也将继承这些改变。

　　The F.D.A. calls them mitochondrial manipulation technologies. The procedures involveremoving the nuclear material either from the egg or embryo of a woman with inheritablemitochondrial disease and inserting it into a healthy egg or embryo of a donor whose ownnuclear material has been discarded. Any offspring would carry genetic material from threepeople — the nuclear DNA of the mother and father, and the mitochondrial DNA of the donor.

　　FDA称之为线粒体操作技术。相关的步骤涉及将患有遗传性线粒体疾病的女性的卵子或胚胎的核质取出，嵌入到捐赠者的健康卵子或胚胎中，捐赠者本身的核质已经丢弃。所有子女都将携带三个人的基因物质，分别是父亲和母亲的核DNA以及捐赠者的线粒体DNA。

　　Roughly 1,000 to 4,000 children born in the United States each year will develop amitochondrial disease, most by age 10, with symptoms that can range from mild todevastating. These diseases typically prevent mitochondria from converting food into energyand are the result of genetic abnormalities, although some cases can be caused by exposuresto toxins. Disorders caused by mutations in the mitochondrial DNA are passed down from themother.

　　美国每年有1000到4000名新生儿患有线粒体疾病，大多数在10岁以前发病，症状有的轻微，有的极为严重。这类疾病通常会阻止线粒体将食物转化为能量，是基因异常的结果，不过某些情况下也可能因接触毒素导致。线粒体DNA变异导致的障碍症会通过母亲传给下一代。

本文关键字: 我们离转基因人类有多远?