Summary
Eight healthy babies have been born in the UK using a new IVF technique that combines DNA from three people. This procedure aims to help prevent inherited mitochondrial diseases, which currently have no cure.
Key Facts
- The IVF technique uses DNA from the mother's egg, the father's sperm, and healthy donor mitochondrial DNA.
- Mitochondrial diseases affect about 1 in 5,000 births and cause serious health issues.
- The procedure was approved in the UK in 2015, but remains controversial.
- In the study, 22 women underwent the treatment, resulting in eight births.
- These eight babies are between less than six months and over two years old.
- For six of the babies, mutated mitochondrial DNA was reduced by 95-100%.
- Two of the babies had their mutated mitochondrial DNA reduced by 77-88%.
- This technique is not yet approved in many countries, including the US and France.
