a human oocyte
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The British government is heading for a new type of in vitro fertilization that would allow patients with mitochondrial diseases to avoid transmitting the disease to their children. The technique is controversial because it involves the introduction of new DNA into a human embryo. But a public consultation earlier this year revealed widespread support for the technique.
The Ministry of Health announced today that it will develop draft guidelines to allow fertility clinics to offer the technique. The proposed guidelines would be released for public comment later this year, and Parliament could vote on a final version next year.
Mitochondria are energy generators of the cell, and they carry their own DNA, called mitochondrial DNA. Mutations in these genes cause mitochondrial diseases, which can affect various organs, including the heart, liver, eyes and brain. These diseases are transmitted from mother to child, because the egg provides most of the mtDNA of an embryo. (Sperm have mitochondria, but most disintegrate after fertilization.)
The technology in question transferring sperm nuclear DNA and the egg of potential parents in a second egg provided by a donor who healthy mitochondria, of which the nuclear DNA has been eliminated. The technique is still in development and not yet considered ready to try in humans. But the potential is promising enough that the government has decided to move forward, said Chief Medical Officer Sally Davies said in a statement. "It is right that we seek to introduce this lifesaving treatment as soon as possible," said Davies.
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