Dozens of human embryos with three parents have been created by British scientists, ushering in an era of designer babies.The embryos - which effectively have two mothers and one father - have been genetically engineered to be free from incurable muscle, brain, heart and digestive illnesses, some of which kill within hours of being born.
The Newcastle University researchers say that within three years, it could allow women whose families are blighted by disease the chance of bringing a healthy child into the world. The research centres on mitochondria - powerhouses inside cells which turn food into energy to be used by the brain and body. Each mitochondrion has its own DNA and is passed down from mother to child. Serious defects in this DNA affect one in 6,500 babies and cause around 50 genetic diseases, some of which kill in infancy.
With no cure for the conditions, which include some forms of diabetes, blindness and heart problems, women carrying diseased mitochondria often face the heartbreaking choice of whether it would be kinder to remain childless. The scientists have found a way of swapping the diseased DNA with healthy genetic material, creating embryos free of mitochondrial disease.
The 'transplant' technique, which is described in the journal Nature, involves using IVF techniques to fertilise an egg from a healthy donor. When the resulting embryo is just a few hours old, the nuclear DNA, or genes, from the sperm and egg are removed, leaving the healthy mitochondria behind.
The would-be mother's egg is then fertilised with her partner's sperm and the nuclear DNA removed and put into the donor egg. This creates an egg where the genetic material comes overwhelmingly from the prospective parents and the mitochondria are healthy.
If the method is successful, the disease should be eradicated from future generations of the family. (Daily Mail)
