Consider the following statements:
- Genetic changes can be introduced in the cells that produce eggs or sperms of a prospective parent
- A person’s genome can be edited before birth at the early embryonic stage.
- Human induced pluripotent stem cells can be injected into the embryo of a pig.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- 1 only
- 2 and 3 only
- 2 only
- 1, 2 and 3
Explanation
Statement 1 is correct
- Genetic changes can be introduced in germline cells (cells that produce eggs or sperms). This is known as germline gene editing, and technologies like CRISPR‑Cas9 make it technically possible. These changes can also be passed to future generations.
Statement 2 is correct
- CRISPR/Cas9 technology has been validated to be feasible in human cells, including early embryos.
- This technique can be used to explore critical regulatory factors in embryonic development and to facilitate the treatment of human diseases by editing genomic sequences and epigenetic modifications.
Statement 3 is correct
- Scientists can reprogram adult human cells into induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs), which have the ability to develop into any cell type. These hiPSCs can then be introduced into animal embryos, such as pigs, creating chimeric embryos that contain both human and animal cells. This approach is primarily used in research to better understand human development and disease.
