UK Moves a Step Closer to Three-Person IVF

Britain took another step towards legalizing three-person IVF after the Human Fertilization and Embryology Authority (HFEA) revealed that it has not found any evidence that such a practice was unsafe. Three-person IVF, or creation of babies from three parents, is being opposed largely on ethical grounds as it uses DNA from three people. However such a procedure can prevent babies from suffering from ‘mitochondrial disorders’ which may prove to be fatal in some cases.

When doctors find that the fertilized egg suffers from such disorders, then they remove the affected mitochondria and replace it with mitochondria from a donor egg.

While there are ethical concerns, the panel said that there was a ‘general support’ for legalizing such a procedure. “Broadly speaking the public was in favor of these novel techniques being translated into treatments. They felt that any ethical concerns were outweighed by potential benefits”, Prof Neva Haites, who was with the panel, said.

Source-Medindia