3-parent DNA babies born disease-free

PROCESS REPLACES DEFECTIVE MITOCHONDRIA IN A MOTHER'S EGG

- BY ALEX ABRAHAM

In a breakthrough hailed as a major leap forward in reproductive medicine, scientists in the UK have successfully used a new form of in vitro fertilisation (IVF) to help mothers avoid passing on devastating mitochondrial diseases to their children.

The result? Eight healthy babies born with DNA from three individuals — their mother, father, and a donor — in what is being called the world’s first confirmed trial of its kind.

Published this week in the New England Journal of Medicine, the trial offers hope to families affected by mitochondrial disorders, rare but incurable genetic conditions.

Affect 1 in 5,000 births