Rome, Italy, Feb 14, 2011 / 16:04 pm
The Bishops’ Conference of France has condemned the manipulation of France's first “savior sibling.”
Umut Talha, whose name in Turkish means “hope,” was born Jan. 26 at a hospital in Paris. The boy was “designed” through in vitro fertilization and genetic selection to cure one of his siblings of a serious genetic disease that causes anemia and requires repeated blood transfusions.
Using in vitro fertilization, scientists conceived a number of embryos and discarded those considered “unfit.” They then implanted the embryo that did not carry the disease so that the baby could be a compatible donor.
In the future, cells extracted from Umut’s umbilical cord could be transplanted to his older brother to cure him.