By Kim Susan Se-jeong
It may soon be possible to have a child with three biological parents, according to the Telegraph Monday.
The technique of combining the DNA of three people to prevent women from passing on inheritable mitochondrial disease is only allowed for research purposes. Now, Britain’s Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) is consulting whether or not the procedure should be available for clinical use.
The mitochondrion, the “power plant” that supplies the cell with energy, is a small part of the human DNA, but could lead to disabilities or death if affected with inheritable diseases.
Since its discovery in 1988, mitochondrial disease was found to be associated with around 150 inheritable diseases, including Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Huntington, obesity, diabetes and cancer.
Mitochondrial DNA is only inherited from the mother. Thus, to prevent the child from receiving the disease, the mother’s mitochondrial DNA must be completely switched out with ones from a healthy woman.
There are two ways to do this, according to the Telegraph’s report.
Experts could remove the mother’s genetic material from the embryo and insert it into a healthy donor’s embryo that contains unaffected mitochondria, or use the same method before insemination and insert the mother’s genetic material into another healthy egg.
The procedure could save lives, but genetic modification is a serious ethical issue. Going from research to clinical use could be a complicated process.
“Such a move raises important questions,” said the Department of Health spokesman in the Telegraph article, “which is why we have asked the HFEA to conduct a thorough consultation, which includes gathering evidence from experts and seeking views from members of the public.”