Myth Replacement Therapy: MPs Debate the Science of Mitochondria
By Dr. Ted Morrow,
BioNews
| 09. 08. 2014
The regulatory path to clinical trials of mitochondrial replacement therapy (MRT) was recently debated in the House of Commons. MRT is under development in the UK as way of potentially eliminating mitochondrial disease. The techniques essentially swap diseased mitochondria in the unfertilised or fertilised eggs of affected women for putatively healthy ones obtained from a donor. The outcome is unknown and evidence from animals suggest mismatching may occur between the nuclear DNA from the mother and the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) derived from the donor (1). The debate was called by a group of backbenchers that are unhappy about the pace with which the Government is apparently moving towards changing the regulations. The split in views in the chamber was fairly even.
Read more...
Related Articles
By Josie Ensor, The Times | 12.09.2025
A fertility start-up that promises to screen embryos to give would-be parents their “best baby” has come under fire for a “misuse of science”.
Nucleus Genomics describes its mission as “IVF for genetic optimisation”, offering advanced embryo testing that allows...
By Hannah Devlin, The Guardian | 12.06.2025
Couples undergoing IVF in the UK are exploiting an apparent legal loophole to rank their embryos based on genetic predictions of IQ, height and health, the Guardian has learned.
The controversial screening technique, which scores embryos based on their DNA...
By Frankie Fattorini, Pharmaceutical Technology | 12.02.2025
Próspera, a charter city on Roatán island in Honduras, hosts two biotechs working to combat ageing through gene therapy, as the organisation behind the city advertises its “flexible” regulatory jurisdiction to attract more developers.
In 2021, Minicircle set up a...
By Vardit Ravitsky, The Hastings Center | 12.04.2025
Embryo testing is advancing fast—but how far is too far? How and where do we draw the line between preventing disease and selecting for “desirable” traits? What are the ethical implications for parents, children, clinicians, and society at large? These...
