When the birth of eight healthy babies with donated mitochondria was announced the news went global.
We were all delighted as PET aims to improve choices for people that are affected by infertility and genetic conditions. Further, we had campaigned for the law to be changed to permit mitochondrial donation alongside the Lily Foundation and Wellcome.
So it was not surprising that Sarah Norcross, director of PET, appeared on ITV News Tyne Tees discussing this announcement and its impact with health correspondent Helen Ford. You can watch Helen interview Sarah about it on the teatime news starting at around the 6:33 mark.
BioNews covered the news in great detail explaining the salient points of the two scientific papers which were published in the New England Journal of Medicine. One of the research papers focused on the embryology aspects of mitochondrial donation. While the other paper covered the patient pathway and how families affected by mitochondrial disease access fertility treatment.
Professor Robin Lovell-Badge, PET's Chair of Trustees, had an editorial published in the journal entitled 'Reducing the Risks of Mitochondrial Disease in Children'.
Since the initial announcement we have followed up with a Comment by Dr Andy Greenfield entitled 'Mitochondrial donation: a triumph of scientific innovation – and so much more'. In this article he explores what it took to achieve the birth of eight healthy babies with donated mitochondria. It was not just scientific and technical advances but also ethical inquiry, public and patient engagement, the introduction of new laws and regulations, and the careful establishment of a new clinical pathway.
Following this, we published a Comment by Professor Rachel Bowlby entitled 'The Third Parent', in which she explains explains why so-called 'three-parent babies' are nothing new.
If you are interested in this topic then why not book to attend our free online event entitled Mitochondrial Donation: Does It Work? What Next? on 8 October.