The first UK baby created with DNA from three people has been born following a groundbreaking IVF procedure known as mitochondrial donation treatment (MDT). The technique aims to prevent children from inheriting incurable mitochondrial diseases by using healthy mitochondria from a female donor.
The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) confirmed that a small number of babies, fewer than five, have been born in the UK after MDT. The regulator did not disclose the exact number to protect patient confidentiality. The births occurred as of late April 2023.
The procedure combines sperm from the father, an egg from the mother, and mitochondria from a donor egg. The resulting embryo has over 99.8% of its DNA from both parents, with a small amount of donor DNA. Doctors at the Newcastle Fertility Centre pioneered the technique, which received legal approval in the UK in 2015.
Mitochondrial disorders affect about one in 6,000 babies and can cause severe, progressive diseases in energy-intensive organs like the brain, heart, and muscles. MDT offers women with mutated mitochondria a chance to have healthy children without passing on these conditions.
The treatment was substantially delayed by the Covid-19 pandemic, which deterred some donors. Despite the success, risks remain, including the possibility of reversion where abnormal mitochondria multiply, potentially leading to disease in the child.
