Baby born in England with DNA of three people

The field of assisted reproductive technology has reached another milestone. A baby was born using a new in vitro fertilization (IVF) technique that contains the DNA of three people.

The application is known as mitochondrial replacement therapyand replacing defective mitochondrial DNA in a mother’s egg with healthy mitochondrial DNA from a donor. Mitochondria are small organelles in cells responsible for energy production.

When mitochondria are not working properly, it can lead to a number of serious health problems, including muscular dystrophy, heart disease and neurological disorders.

Newcastle University is a pioneer in this procedure in collaboration with the Newcastle Fertility Center — designed for this prevent serious genetic diseases in future babiesBut they weren’t the only ones: In 2016, scientists in Mexico announced the birth of a child with DNA taken from three different people, again in Ukraine in 2017 and Greece in 2019.

“The Newcastle team involved in running the procedures are cautious and want to include at least some follow-up data on the infants while at the same time protecting the privacy of the family,” said stem cell biologist and developmental geneticist Robin Lovell-Badge. Institute Francis Crick.

Although mitochondrial replacement therapy is still a relatively new procedure, Studies have shown that it can be safe and effective. Currently the UK is the only country to legalize this procedure, but it is strictly regulated and can only be used where the mother has a history of mitochondrial disease.

Critics of the procedure claim it raises a number of ethical concerns, including the possibility of creating “designer dolls” with desirable traits.