Mitochondrial replacement therapy and parenthood

Mito-nuclear Incompatibilities and Mitochondrial Replacement Therapy

Mitochondrial replacement therapy (MRT) is a human reproductive technology by which the mitochondria of a recipient’s eggs are effectively replaced by those of a donor, potentially eliminating harmful mitochondrial mutations carried by the recipient. However, concerns have been raised that MRT may lead to problems due to incompatibilities between the nuclear genome of the recipient and mitochon...

Mitochondrial replacement therapy: the UK and US regulatory landscapes

Mitochondrial replacement therapy: Cautiously replace the master manipulator.

Around 1 in 200 children born each year have mutations in the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA)—the genome of the cellular powerhouse. In most cases this causes only mild disease, often without any symptoms. However, for about 1 in 6,500 individuals, mitochondrial disease causes serious and often fatal conditions, which include blindness, muscular weakness, and heart failure. Currently available therap...

Mitochondrial Replacement: Ethics And Identity

Mitochondrial replacement techniques (MRTs) have the potential to allow prospective parents who are at risk of passing on debilitating or even life-threatening mitochondrial disorders to have healthy children to whom they are genetically related. Ethical concerns have however been raised about these techniques. This article focuses on one aspect of the ethical debate, the question of whether th...

CRISPR/Cas9 and mitochondrial gene replacement therapy: promising techniques and ethical considerations.

Thousands of mothers are at risk of transmitting mitochondrial diseases to their offspring each year, with the most severe form of these diseases being fatal [1]. With no cure, transmission prevention is the only current hope for decreasing the disease incidence. Current methods of prevention rely on low mutant maternal mitochondrial DNA levels, while those with levels close to or above thresho...