Regarding the research of extracting the "nucleus" containing the genetic information from the fertilized human egg and transplanting it to another fertilized egg from which the nucleus has been removed in advance, the national expert research committee is limited to basic research such as elucidation of the mechanism of the disease. I have accepted the revised draft of the guidelines to be accepted.
"Nuclear transplantation", in which a "nucleus" containing genetic information is taken out from a fertilized human egg and put into a fertilized egg of another person whose nucleus has been removed in advance, is prohibited by national guidelines due to bioethical issues.
The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) has a guideline to allow "nuclear transplantation" only in basic research on "mitochondrial disease," an intractable disease in which the function of "mitochondria" contained in parts other than the nucleus of cells is reduced and energy cannot be produced. I was putting together an amendment.
Regarding this amendment, the national "Bioethics Expert Committee" made up of experts in reproductive medicine and bioethics will hold a meeting held on the 15th of this month to transfer fertilized eggs that have undergone nuclear transplantation to the uterus of humans and animals. I confirmed that I would not return it and that it was limited to basic research aimed at clarifying the mechanism of mitochondrial disease, and agreed to the content.
When conducting research, an ethics committee review is required, and only fertilized eggs that have not been used in fertility treatment should be used.
The draft amendment to the guidelines is expected to be officially decided at the government's "Science, Technology and Innovation Conference" to be held from next month onwards.