Britain Confirms Birth of First Babies from Three-Person DNA Technique

The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority of Britain confirmed on Wednesday the birth of the first babies in the UK conceived using an experimental technique that combines the DNA of three people. This action was taken in an effort to prevent the inheritance of rare genetic diseases in these children. According to the Associated Press, the fertility regulator stated that fewer than five babies have been born using this method in the country, but did not provide further details to protect the families' identities. The news was first reported by The Guardian. Britain was the first country in the world to pass laws in 2015 allowing specific methods to help prevent the transmission of defects from mothers with defective mitochondria to their newborns. Mitochondria in a cell are responsible for cellular respiration and providing energy to the cell. Genetic defects can lead to diseases such as muscular dystrophy, epilepsy, heart problems, and mental disabilities. One in every 200 children in Britain is born with a mitochondrial disorder. To date, 32 patients have been allowed to receive such treatment. For a woman with defective mitochondria, scientists take genetic material from her egg or embryo, which is then transferred to a donor egg or embryo that has healthy mitochondria but from which the rest of the DNA has been removed. The fertilized embryo is then transferred to the mother's womb. In fact, children conceived using this method receive only one percent of the genetic material from the donor egg. The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority stated, 'The mitochondrial donation method offers families with severe hereditary mitochondrial diseases the possibility of having a healthy child.' Britain requires any woman wishing to undergo this treatment to obtain permission from this authority. According to the fertility regulator, families must have no other possible options to prevent the transmission of genetic disease to qualify.