Embryos Having Three Genetic Parents To Treat Mitochondrial Genetic Disorders

Filed in archive Genomics, Proteomics and Bioinformatics on September 11, 2005

The breakthrough in creating embryos from two mothers generated a lot of attention. It sounds bizaare, even to a scientist such as me, who believes in the power of science and biotechnology to improve human life. But sounding even more bizaare is Friday's headline (of the same story) in UK's Times Online about embryos created from THREE genetic parents; it's starting to sound like a sci-fi movie from an over-imaginative script writer.

First, an egg from a woman carrying mitochondrial defects will be fertilised in vitro using her partner's sperm. At the point of fertilisation, two "pronuclei" containing genetic material from the mother and father will be removed, and injected into an unfertilised egg from which the nucleus has been removed.

...so the embryo will have been created with a genetic contribution from three individuals --- the father, the mother who provided the nucleus, and the donor who provided the mitochondria.

It may be permissible within the Human Fertilisation and embryology Act 1990, and therefore makes it legal. The theoretical potential on treating mitochondrial diseases (muscular myopathies, for example) is immense, but surely, there has to be a more ethical and publicly acceptable means?

Go on, read the news article. I'd be interested how the concept makes you feel, just off-the-bat.