San Diego Scientists Help Develop New Twist On In Vitro Fertilization

A team of researchers including scientists from San Diego have developed a new approach to in vitro fertilization that combines components from the eggs of two different women. They say if follow-up studies prove successful, it could one day improve treatments for infertility or help prevent devastating diseases.

But some experts are concerned that this and similar approaches, which have already reportedly been used in a number of human births, have not yet been proven safe.

The new technique involves extracting tiny cells called polar bodies from the egg of a woman who may be struggling with infertility or may be at risk of passing down mitochondrial disease to her children. Polar bodies normally play no role in fertilization, but they can when they're implanted into a healthier egg from a donor.

In a new study published Thursday in Cell Stem Cell, researchers co-led by the Salk Institute's Joseph Ecker show that when this hybrid egg is fertilized, it can give rise to cells that appear capable of becoming viable human embryos. These embryos could contain DNA from...