Three parent IVF gaining momentum

Medical groups in the UK are urging the government to continue with three-parent IVF testing, a procedure which eliminates the probability of mitochondrial genetic disease passed on by biological mothers. Recent research indicates that the methods for using three genetic donors are not unsafe, but need more research to be deemed safe.

DNA comes from three sources: most of it comes from the mother and father but a small amount, called mitochondrial DNA, comes solely from the mother. The mitochondria are the cells which fuel other cells. There are some severe and lethal genetic disorders which are carried on these strands.

It is possible to have IVF where the mitochondrial DNA is replaced by another woman’s genetic material. One type is called maternal spindle transfer. The nuclear DNA from the mother is inserted into the emptied donor egg of another woman. Fertilization takes place with the father’s sperm and the embryo is implanted in the mother.

The other type is called pronuclear transfer. The mother’s egg is fertilized first, then the nucleus of the fertilized egg is transferred to the empty donor egg cell. Implantation of the embryo takes place after.

The Human Fertility and Embryology Authority (HFEA), an independent regulator for fertility treatment in the UK found no evidence that these methods are unsafe, but they recommended more safety testing.

The Health Secretary will decide if testing will continue, but there is widespread support in the fertility community to continue to human trial.

Source: HFEA report, MedicalNewsToday