A reproductive option that was developed for the purpose of avoiding the transmission of mitochondrial disease from mother to child. It involves creating an embryo using nuclear DNA from the prospective parents, and mitochondria (including mitochondrial DNA) from a donor. It is sometimes referred to as MDT (which stands for 'mitochondrial donation treatment') or as MRT (which can stand for either 'mitochondrial replacement therapy' or 'mitochondrial replacement techniques'). There are also specific mitochondrial donation techniques that have their own acronyms.
Dr Andy Greenfield explores what it took to achieve the birth of eight healthy babies with donated mitochondria – 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...
Eight children have been born in the UK following mitochondrial donation IVF. All eight children have made normal developmental progress, and none of them show any sign of mitochondrial disease...
Mair Crouch, author of the book 'Medical Genetics and Law: An International Perspective', explains why legal professionals need an understanding of genomics (and vice versa)...
Professors Edith Heard, Tilli Tansey, Caroline Ogilvie and Robin Ali were all recognised in the King's Birthday Honours List, for services to science and genetics...
Professor Alison Murdoch has been awarded an MBE in the King's New Year Honours List for services to fertility treatment...
The Nuffield Council on Bioethics gathered scientists, policymakers, regulators and ethicists for an afternoon of talks and discussion on the ethical implications of engineering biology...
Luke Steventon reviews a radio programme about mitochondria, which are described as producing energy production levels of '30 million volts per metre – like a bolt of lightning'...
The birth of the first UK child(ren) with donated mitochondria has been confirmed by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority...
Professor Catherine Mills and PhD candidate Ezra Kneebone from Monash University, Australia discuss the critical shortages of eggs available for fertility treatment and put forward a proposal to counteract this shortage, for both reproductive and research purposes...
Embryos containing donated mitochondria, created via a method intended to avoid the transmission of mitochondrial disease, seem similar to those created via IVF with ICSI...
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