Mitochondrial DNA from a donor grafted onto the mother’s egg prevented the transmission of a genetic disease. The child therefore carries the DNA of both parents and that of the donor.
- A baby is born with DNA from both parents and from a donor whose genetic material was grafted into the mother’s egg
- This technique of genetic manipulation, which is authorized only in certain countries, makes it possible to avoid the transmission of genetic diseases.
- Mitochondrial diseases are transmitted from one generation to another and can result in loss of sight or hearing, cognitive disorders or respiratory problems.
In the UK, an innovative in vitro fertilization technique has been used to conceive a baby with DNA from both parents as well as that of a donor. The child was born healthy. The event has just been reported by the newspaper The Guardian. This method, called MDT (mitochondrial donation treatment), offers new hope for people with mitochondrial diseases, incurable genetic pathologies that affect many people around the world. These diseases can result in loss of sight or hearing, cognitive impairment or respiratory problems.
Diseases linked to mitochondrial DNA mutations
The MDT technique was first developed in Britain in the 2000s, to provide an alternative for women with mitochondrial diseases passed down from one generation to the next. Mitochondrial diseases are caused by mutations in mitochondrial DNA, which impact cells’ ability to produce energy.
The baby carries the DNA of both parents and that of the donor
The MDT technique consists of taking the egg from the mother and removing its nucleus, then implanting it in a donor egg, from which the nucleus has been removed beforehand. This new egg, containing the genetic material of the mother and that of the donor, is then fertilized in vitro with the sperm of the father, then the embryo is implanted in the uterus of the mother. The baby resulting from this procedure therefore carries the DNA of both parents as well as that of the donor, which makes it possible to prevent the transmission of mitochondrial diseases.
A controversial technique
The MDT technique has been controversial since its inception because it involves genetic modification. It creates a modification in the mitochondrial DNA which will be transmitted to the descendants. However, it is authorized in some countries, including the United Kingdom, the United States and Mexico. Proponents of this technique point out that the benefits to parents with mitochondrile diseases and their offspring outweigh the risks.
The first baby conceived with the DNA of three people was born in 2016
The first baby conceived with the MDT technique was born in 2016 in Mexico. Parents with mitochondrial diseases have seen in this technique the hope of conceiving a healthy child. It opens up new perspectives for these people who have long sought ways to prevent the transmission of these pathologies from one generation to the next. It allows parents to have a child without the risk of it being a carrier of the disease.
