美国国家公共电台 NPR Editing Embryo DNA Yields Clues About Early Human Development

 

ARI SHAPIRO, HOST:

For the first time, scientists have altered the DNA¹ in human embryos³ to make a fundamental discovery about early human development. Scientists say this proves that modifying genes⁵ and human embryos can reveal powerful insights into the earliest days of human life. NPR health correspondent Rob Stein explains.

ROB STEIN, BYLINE⁶: Tinkering with genes in human embryos has long been considered off-limits because of fears it could mess up the human gene⁴ pool or lead to genetically⁷ modified human beings. But scientists like Kathy Niakan of the Francis Crick Institute in London have argued that they could make big discoveries about basic human biology.

KATHY NIAKAN: The purpose of this research is to uncover insights into the function and the role of key genes in this important, critical window of human development.

STEIN: When a single cell somehow begins the journey towards becoming a fully⁸ formed human being. So Niakan's team used a powerful new gene editing technique to inactivate⁹ a single gene in dozens of very early embryos.

NIAKAN: This research is really the first time that genome editing has been used to study the function of a gene or the role of a gene in human embryos.

STEIN: And the results of the experiment were dramatic. Most of the embryos that had their gene inactivated¹⁰ failed to develop normally. The gene's called OCT4.

NIAKAN: So that tells us that OCT4 is really important.

STEIN: Important because a lot of women can't get pregnant or have miscarriages¹¹ because they can't make healthy embryos. So this provides clues to how doctors could someday help them.

NIAKAN: This is opening up the possibility of using genetics - a genetics tool - a really powerful, precise genetics tool to understand gene function and to unlock a lot of important aspects of our human biology.

STEIN: The researchers also discovered the gene plays an important role in helping¹² form the placenta, the organ that nourishes pregnancies¹³. And that's not all. The OCT4 gene looks like it's a key player in embryonic¹⁴ stem cells.

NIAKAN: Embryonic stem cells have tremendous potential because they can help us to understand and even potentially treat diseases in the future as varied¹⁵ as heart disease, Alzheimer's and diabetes¹⁶.

STEIN: Because of all this, other scientists say this is a big deal.

DEITRICH EGLI: It's a landmark¹⁷ study.

STEIN: Dietrich Egli is a biologist at Columbia University.

EGLI: The human embryo² as an experimental system is a new groundbreaking concept that so far very few have dared to walk into. And this is something that Kathy Niakan clearly has done here in a pioneering way.

STEIN: But the research is also setting off alarm bells for some. While basic research like this could be important, Marcy Darnovsky of the Center for Genetics and Society worries about other scientists trying to take this too far.

MARCY DARNOVSKY: The concerns are that we would be opening the door to fertility clinics vying¹⁸ to offer gene editing to make future children taller or stronger or whatever they wanted to market. That could put us into a situation where some children were perceived to be biologically superior to other children.

STEIN: For her part, Niakan just hopes to learn more secrets about the basic biology of human development. Rob Stein, NPR News.

1 DNA   

(缩)deoxyribonucleic acid 脱氧核糖核酸

参考例句：

• DNA is stored in the nucleus of a cell.脱氧核糖核酸储存于细胞的细胞核里。
• Gene mutations are alterations in the DNA code.基因突变是指DNA密码的改变。

2 embryo   

n.胚胎，萌芽的事物

参考例句：

• They are engaging in an embryo research.他们正在进行一项胚胎研究。
• The project was barely in embryo.该计划只是个雏形。

3 embryos   

n.晶胚；胚，胚胎( embryo的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Somatic cells of angiosperms enter a regenerative phase and behave like embryos. 被子植物体细胞进入一个生殖阶段，而且其行为象胚。 来自辞典例句
• Evolution can explain why human embryos look like gilled fishes. 进化论能够解释为什么人类的胚胎看起来象除去了内脏的鱼一样。 来自辞典例句

4 gene   

n.遗传因子，基因

参考例句：

• A single gene may have many effects.单一基因可能具有很多种效应。
• The targeting of gene therapy has been paid close attention.其中基因治疗的靶向性是值得密切关注的问题之一。

5 genes   

n.基因( gene的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• You have good genes from your parents, so you should live a long time. 你从父母那儿获得优良的基因，所以能够活得很长。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Differences will help to reveal the functions of the genes. 它们间的差异将会帮助我们揭开基因多种功能。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 生物技术的世纪

6 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

7 genetically   

adv.遗传上

参考例句：

• All the bees in the colony are genetically related. 同一群体的蜜蜂都有亲缘关系。
• Genetically modified foods have already arrived on American dinner tables. 经基因改造加工过的食物已端上了美国人的餐桌。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 基因与食物

8 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

9 inactivate   

v.使…不活跃

参考例句：

• We put bacteria in an environment at low temperature to inactivate them.我们将细菌置於低温的环境中使之失去活性。
• Food processing destroys some nutrients,but can also inactivate toxins and increase the availability of other nutrients.食物加工破坏一些营养物质，但也可以灭活毒素，并增加其他营养物质的可用性。

10 inactivated   

v.使不活泼，阻止活动( inactivate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Molluscicides are quickly inactivated by sunlight and adsorption to mud organic matter. 灭螺剂因阳光作用、泥土及有机物质的吸收会很快失效。 来自辞典例句
• Viruses were inactivated by BPL and the toxicity measured again. BPL对病毒进行灭活，测定残存毒力。 来自互联网

11 miscarriages   

流产( miscarriage的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Miscarriages are usually caused by abnormal chromosome patterns in the fetus. 流产通常是因为胎儿的染色体异常造成的。
• Criminals go unpunishedareconvicted and are miscarriages of justice. 罪犯会逍遥法外，法律会伤及无辜，审判不公时有发生。

12 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

13 pregnancies   

怀孕，妊娠( pregnancy的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Since the wartime population needed replenishment, pregnancies were a good sign. 最后一桩倒不失为好现象，战时人口正该补充。
• She's had three pregnancies in four years. 她在四年中怀孕叁次。

14 embryonic   

adj.胚胎的

参考例句：

• It is still in an embryonic stage.它还处于萌芽阶段。
• The plan,as yet,only exists in embryonic form.这个计划迄今为止还只是在酝酿之中。

15 varied   

adj.多样的，多变化的

参考例句：

• The forms of art are many and varied.艺术的形式是多种多样的。
• The hotel has a varied programme of nightly entertainment.宾馆有各种晚间娱乐活动。

16 diabetes   

n.糖尿病

参考例句：

• In case of diabetes, physicians advise against the use of sugar.对于糖尿病患者，医生告诫他们不要吃糖。
• Diabetes is caused by a fault in the insulin production of the body.糖尿病是由体內胰岛素分泌失调引起的。

17 landmark   

n.陆标，划时代的事，地界标

参考例句：

• The Russian Revolution represents a landmark in world history.俄国革命是世界历史上的一个里程碑。
• The tower was once a landmark for ships.这座塔曾是船只的陆标。

18 vying   

adj.竞争的；比赛的

参考例句：

• California is vying with other states to capture a piece of the growing communications market.为了在日渐扩大的通讯市场分得一杯羹，加利福尼亚正在和其他州展开竞争。
• Four rescue plans are vying to save the zoo.4个拯救动物园的方案正争得不可开交。