Britain could become the first country in the world to allow controversial in-vitro fertilisation involving three parents. This pioneering technique was developed by Newcastle University researchers to eradicate serious disorders inherited from mothers.
Every human cell has mitochondria that provides energy for cells to function. However, they also carry genetic mutations that in some cases produce severe forms of diseases like muscular weakness, blindness, fatal heart failure, liver failure, learning disability and diabetes. The mitochondrial DNA is passed down the maternal line, from mother to child.
The “three-parent IVF” technique involves a fertilised egg containing the DNA of the father and mother, and the mitochondria from the donor. Mitochondrial DNA is not present in the nucleus of a fertilised egg, so the nucleus can be extracted and placed into an egg from a donor.
In order to get rid of these diseases, the Newcastle researchers developed a technique that allowed them to extract the nucleus of a fertilised egg and place it into another fertilised egg from a donor that had been cleaned of its genetic material from egg and sperm. This creates a situation where “three parents” are involved in creation of a healthy embryo.
Britain plans to make the pioneering technique available to patients to help prevent serious mitochondrial disease in the UK, Dame Sally Davies, chief medical officer for England, announced Friday.
Draft regulations will be published later this year. “The regulations, that would be subject to strict safeguards, would make the UK the first country in the world to give patients the option of using the ground-breaking IVF-based treatment,” Prof. Davies said.