[Solved] Consider the following statements: 1. Genetic changes can be introduced in the cells that produce eggs and sperm of a prospective parent. 2. A person’s genome can be edited before birth at the early embryonic stages. 3. Human induced pluripotent stem cells can be injected into the embryo of a pig. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Q4. Consider the following statements:

1. Genetic changes can be introduced in the cells that produce eggs and sperm of a prospective parent.

2. A person’s genome can be edited before birth at the early embryonic stages.

3. Human induced pluripotent stem cells can be injected into the embryo of a pig.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

a. 1 only

b. 2 and 3 only

c. 2 only

d. 1,2 and 3

Answer: d

Germline gene therapy

· It targets the reproductive cells, meaning any changes made to the DNA will be passed on to the next generation. Consequently, the practice has dramatically divided opinion.

· Germline gene therapy is when DNA is transferred into the cells that produce reproductive cells, eggs or sperm, in the body.

· With embryonic genetic editing makes it possible to make genome changes to eliminate the vertical transfer (through inheritance) of certain diseases and medical conditions.

· A suite of experiments that use the gene-editing tool CRISPR–Cas9 to modify human embryos have revealed how the process can make large, unwanted changes to the genome at or near the target site.

· Researchers have experimented by injecting several different forms of human stem cells into pig embryos to see which cell -type would survive best. The cells that survived longest and showed the most potential to continue to develop were intermediate human pluripotent stem cells.