Is OT and/or NT a type of germ-line modification?
A first conceptual issue concerns whether OT and/or NT should be classified as forms of germ-line modification. This question can be answered both affirmatively and negatively, depending on what is determined as the defining characteristic of germ-line modification. In general, a modification of the germ-line means that new genetic material is introduced into the gametes (or early embryo). This genetic modification is not only passed on to the child, but also to subsequent generations. In this sense, both OT and NT can be perceived as forms of germ-line modification. The mtDNA of the oocyte of the affected mother is supplemented with (OT) or exchanged for (NT) mtDNA of a donor oocyte and therefore irreversibly changed (Rubenstein et al., 1995; De Wert, 1999; Health Council of the Netherlands, 2001; Thorburn et al., 2001), although it can be questioned whether the small amount of mitochondria introduced in case of OT will pass to the next generation. Initially, germ-line modification wa
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- Is OT and/or NT a type of germ-line modification?
