Children are naturally conceived with the mating of a male and a female but thanks to advancements in the field of genetics, it may soon be possible for babies to have more than two biological parents.
On Tuesday, Britain's fertility regulator Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) gave its backing to a new fertility treatment that involves the creation of three-parent babies. The controversial treatment known as mitochondrial replacement is different from the natural fertilization process in that it involves the removal of the faulty mitochondria from the mother which can cause inherited health conditions such as blindness, liver failure, heart problems, brain disorder and muscular dystrophy in the baby.
The mother's mitochondria is then replaced with those from another person and since the mitochondria, also known as the cell's "power station," is passed from mother to child, the resulting embryo technically has two mothers and a father. The controversial IVF technique is targeted for couples who do not want to pass on incurable genetic disorders to their children.
HFEA's backing was based on scientific findings that show the technique, developed by British scientists and is currently banned in the UK, is not unsafe and can be useful. Supporters of mitochondrial replacement contend that legalizing the treatment would allow couples with history of genetic diseases to have healthier children.
"We are extremely pleased that the latest scientific review of mitochondrial donation techniques has confirmed that there is no evidence to suggest either technique is unsafe, and that both could help families affected by serious mitochondrial disease," said Wellcome Trust director Jeremy Farrar, who urged the government to pass laws that will allow for the access of the treatment.
The government revealed last year that it is preparing draft legislations that would make the treatment available once it is proven safe and effective. The HFEA, however, said that more critical and desirable experiments are still needed before a clinical treatment could be offered albeit the treatment could be ready in as little as two years.
"As a clinician I am aware that inherited mitochondrial disorders are horrible diseases that can devastate families," said Peter Braude, member of the panel that produced the scientific report that examined the safety and efficacy of mitochondria replacement. "In the absence of any effective treatment, mitochondrial replacement therapies such as pronuclear transfer and maternal spindle transfer offer great hope to families afflicted by mitochondrial disorders."
Proposals to make the treatment available in Britain were also met with criticisms. The secular charity group Human Genetics Alert, for instance, said that the legalization of mitochondrial replacement would make it harder to oppose other types of genetic modification.
