But it's that view of the procedure that worries professional ethicists like Nicholas Tonti-Filippini. That view is just simplistic in terms of the actual role the DNA plays. You're meddling with evolution whichever way you look at the origins of life - you're meddling with it. And we know that we're well advanced, well developed now, so that any change now is likely to be a harmful change. We know from experience that any random change to genetic structure is nearly always either harmful or of no effect.
Beneficial effects are less likely.
You've in effect got components from three different people. We really don't know what we're doing, so we may be having major effects on the immune system - so these babies may develop immune problems, or their children may develop immune problems. But we really don't know. You've got to look at DNA in terms of combinations. Despite his personal reservations, Nicholas Tonti-Filippinee says such a procedure would still be legal in many States in Australia.