“New DNA Technique Prevents Fatal Diseases in Babies With Three Biological Parents”
UK Health Officials Announce the Birth of Baby Born with DNA from Three People to Prevent Deadly Diseases
In the UK, a baby with the DNA of three people was born for the first time. The majority of the baby’s DNA came from its two parents, with only about 0.1 percent coming from a third donor woman. This new technique was developed to prevent children from being born with mitochondrial diseases. Mitochondrial diseases are incurable and can be fatal within days or even hours after birth, and some families lose more than one child due to this.
Mitochondria are small compartments in almost every cell of the body that convert food into usable energy. Faulty mitochondria are unable to provide fuel to the body, leading to brain damage, muscle wasting, heart failure, and blindness. However, mitochondria are passed on to babies only by the mother. This means that mitochondrial donation treatment can be performed by using healthy mitochondria from a donor egg. Mitochondria also has its DNA.
According to scientists, using donor DNA ensures that only healthy mitochondria are made. This technique doesn’t affect other characteristics such as physical appearance, and it does not create a “third parent.” Laws were passed in the UK in 2015, allowing the birth of such babies. The first baby born with this technique was born to a Jordanian family treated in the USA in 2016.
Professor at the Francis Crick Research Institute, Robin Lovell-Badge, stated that “it will be interesting to know how well the mitochondrial replacement therapy technique works on a practical level, whether there is mitochondrial disease in infants and if there are any risks.” Technically, there is a risk of return where any defective mitochondria carried over could increase in number and still result in disease.
