Govind Tekale
In this world, there are paradoxes. While there are couples who do not want any offspring, there are others who pine to get a child. However, there is always hope as humanity survives on hope.
A report by the UK fertility treatment watchdog Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has said scientists believe that future babies can be born even if sperm/egg is not available. This will be done by reprogramming cells/skin cells in the lab.
Normally, a child is born when the male reproductive cell called sperm fertilises an egg, the female reproductive cell. As a result, there is the formation of a zygote that attaches to the lining of the uterus and it grows into a baby. Now the HFEA has opened a door for artificial fertilisation.
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Some scientists hope this could be possible in two to three years, while others think more like ten years. The HFEA report says, “To date, reproductive in-vitro gametogenesis (IVG) – a process of creating lab-made eggs and sperm – has been achieved only in mice, but not in non-human primates.”
IVGs have the potential to provide new fertility treatment options for men with low sperm counts and women with low ovarian reserve. Chief Executive of the HFEA, Peter Thompson, said research on IVGs is progressing quickly but it is not yet clear when they might be a viable option in treatment.
This is a new frontier opened for the treatment of fertility. But any misuse may lead to disasters. In search of superman/superwoman, the scientists may cause the birth of a monster. So the responsibility of the fertility watchdog has increased. Of course, this is only an unlikely scenario! But precaution is always better in the unknown fields of human endeavours.
According to a recent report by the UK’s fertility watchdog, HFEA, a child could be born by IVG’s process of creating lab eggs and sperm. This could happen in the near future. But this possibility has led to more responsibility on fertility watchdog as any misuse or abuse of this process may lead to disasters!
