Genetics, embryos and enhancement

What this lesson covers

Somatic versus germline: the line that matters
He Jiankui and the four tests
Fourteen days and mitochondrial donation
Newborn genomes and enhancement
How this comes up on the day

The words to use

Somatic editing: Changing genes in an existing patient's cells, so the change is not inherited. Casgevy, authorised in the UK in November 2023, is an example.
Germline editing: Changing an embryo, egg or sperm, so the change is in every cell and can pass to descendants. Transferring an edited embryo is banned in the UK.
Permitted embryo: An embryo that may lawfully be placed in a woman: no nuclear or mitochondrial DNA altered, except where regulations allow mitochondrial donation.
14-day rule: The legal limit on keeping or using a human embryo: 14 days, or the appearance of the primitive streak if that is earlier.
Mitochondrial donation: IVF that uses a donor's healthy mitochondria to prevent serious inherited mitochondrial disease. Legal in the UK since 2015 and approved patient by patient.

This lesson opens on 29 November

The video, the notes, the model answer and the questions open with the full Medicine school on launch day: 93 lessons, with the offer guarantee behind them.

Buy at the early-bird price Watch the free lessons

17 of 27Up next: questionsSkip

The words to use

Somatic editing

Changing genes in an existing patient's cells, so the change is not inherited. Casgevy, authorised in the UK in November 2023, is an example.

Germline editing

Changing an embryo, egg or sperm, so the change is in every cell and can pass to descendants. Transferring an edited embryo is banned in the UK.

Permitted embryo

An embryo that may lawfully be placed in a woman: no nuclear or mitochondrial DNA altered, except where regulations allow mitochondrial donation.

14-day rule

The legal limit on keeping or using a human embryo: 14 days, or the appearance of the primitive streak if that is earlier.

Mitochondrial donation

IVF that uses a donor's healthy mitochondria to prevent serious inherited mitochondrial disease. Legal in the UK since 2015 and approved patient by patient.