Britain Reports Eight Babies Born via Three-Parent DNA Technique

Pioneering Method Offers Hope Against Devastating Genetic Diseases

Eight healthy babies have been born in Britain using an experimental method that incorporates DNA from three individuals, aiming to prevent mothers from passing on severe hereditary illnesses. This advancement marks a significant step in reproductive medicine, offering new possibilities for families facing such conditions.

Scientific Breakthrough Offers New Hope

The technique addresses issues stemming from mutations in mitochondrial DNA, which resides outside a cell’s nucleus. These mutations can lead to severe health problems in children, including organ failure and developmental delays. While standard in vitro fertilization testing can often detect these mutations, the new method offers a solution for challenging cases.

Researchers developed a process involving the transfer of genetic material from a mother’s egg or embryo into a donor egg that has healthy mitochondria but its own key DNA removed. This effectively creates an embryo with genetic contributions from three people: the mother, the father, and the egg donor.

The groundbreaking work was reported in the New England Journal of Medicine by experts from Newcastle University in Britain and Monash University in Australia. Their research involved 22 patients, resulting in eight babies born free from mitochondrial diseases, with one woman still pregnant.

Cautious Optimism and Expert Views

While celebrating the milestone, experts noted potential nuances. Robin Lovell-Badge, a scientist at the Francis Crick Institute, pointed out that one baby had slightly elevated levels of abnormal mitochondria. However, he clarified that these levels were not considered high enough to cause disease and would be monitored.

8 healthy babies born in UK using DNA from 3 people https://t.co/B0e9e2zGq7

— BBC News (UK) (@BBCNews) January 25, 2024

Dr Andy Greenfield, a reproductive health specialist at the University of Oxford, described the method as “a triumph of scientific innovation.” He emphasized that this mitochondrial exchange would be reserved for a small number of women for whom conventional methods, like early embryo testing, are ineffective.

“The genetic material from the donated egg makes up less than 1% of the baby born after this technique,” Lovell-Badge explained. He drew a comparison to bone marrow transplants, where a much larger proportion of DNA comes from a donor, reassuring that children born through this method would not inherit traits from the egg donor.

Regulatory Landscape and Ethical Considerations

The United Kingdom’s 2016 law change permitted this technique, which is also allowed in Australia but not widely in other nations, including the United States. In the UK, fertility regulators must approve each case, with 35 patients authorized for the procedure as of this month.

Concerns persist regarding the long-term impact of such novel techniques on future generations. In the US, regulatory restrictions prevent clinical use of techniques that result in heritable genetic modifications to embryos.

“Expanding the range of reproductive options … will empower more couples to pursue safe and healthy pregnancies.”

—Dr Zev Williams, Director of the Columbia University Fertility Center

For families affected by mitochondrial diseases, like Liz Curtis, whose daughter Lily died at eight months old from the condition, this breakthrough offers significant hope. Curtis, who founded the Lily Foundation to support research, shared the profound impact of her daughter’s diagnosis.

“It’s super exciting for families that don’t have much hope in their lives,” Curtis stated, highlighting the potential for the technique to transform lives. In 2021, approximately 1 in 5,000 people worldwide were affected by mitochondrial diseases, underscoring the need for innovative solutions like this. (MitoAction, 2021).