Gene therapy and stem cell regeneration are becoming practical realities for the treatment of many diseases. Little is known however on the chances that the foreign genes may be transmitted to "our" children. Is the hypothesis valid? Is there different probabilities, a foreign gene be transmitted from a father or a mother to their child?
Could simple blood transfusion lead to a 3 or even 4 parent babies?
The chances of unwanted gene transfer to germline cells are very low if at all. Many studies perform gene transfer outside of the body. Cell that are not stably transfected/transduced will not transfer the gene to their daughter cells (the gene will be episomally available). If viral vectors are used, only transduced cells and not viruses are transferred to the patient. These cells are not germ cells and therefore genes cannot be transferred to offspring. Even if viral vectors are used in vivo, the likeliness of transfer to offspring is practically zero. Studies on this topic have thus far only shown vector availability in sperm fluid, but not in sperm it self and vectors cannot produce itself and have a limited halflife. Therefore it you do not procreate when you are having gene therapy you will not be able to transfer the virüs or gene to your child. In anyway, there will never be cases of three parent babies. The transferred genes are not 'donated' by persons. They are created in a lab. Blood transfusions cannot result in 3 or more parent babies.
Thanks Fatima for covering the topic. There are however mitochondrial mutations that can be treated with transfer of spirm and ova chromosomes into a healthy ova cytoplasm. In this case a third party mitochnodrial genes will be transmitted to babies.Am i wrong? I think at least certain somatic stem cells can differentiate into ova cells. I will search for the reference.
I agree with earlier answers. To transfer gene to next generation, alteration has to be in sperm or ovum chromosome just like scientists make mice with altered genes. If they can not get alteration in the chromosome of either of germ cells they can not make mice with altered gene.
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