Speakers included: Prof Robin Lovell-Badge FRS FMedSci, Group Leader, Francis Crick Institute Sandy Starr, Deputy Director, Progress Educational Trust (PET) … read more
There have been news reports that babies have been born in the UK following mitochondrial replacement therapy (MRT). Dr … read more
A study published in PLOS Biology looks at the safety of spindle transfer for preventing transfer of mitochondrial mutations from … read more
Research, published in Current Biology, reports that a protein has been identified in fruit flies that can be targeted to … read more
Research published in Science shows that mitochondria interact with cell nucleus’ in ways previously unseen in humans. Matching mitochondrial DNA … read more
Scientists at the University of Cambridge have identified new ways in which mitochondria, the ‘batteries’ that produce our energy, interact … read more
Reactions to a piece published in NEJM which discusses which women stand to benefit from mitochondrial donation. Dr Hansong … read more
Expert reaction to media reports that a US scientist talking at a public meeting at Harvard University has said he … read more
Reactions to news of the birth of a baby through mitochondrial DNA transfer in Greece. A spokesperson for the Human … read more
The HFEA has granted doctors at Newcastle Fertility Centre permission to perform mitochondrial replacement therapy on two women who are at risk of passing on mitochondrial disease to their offspring. read more
The parents of terminally-ill baby Charlie Gard have ended their legal challenge to take him to the US for experimental treatment.
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This is a guest post by Tom Sheldon, Senior Press Manager at the SMC. There can’t be many people in … read more
Courts have ruled against continuing life-preserving treatment for 11 month old Charlie Gard. Since this ruling, offers of support and experimenyal treatment have come from both the US and Italy. read more
Published in Reproductive Biomedicine Online, scientists have described the technique they used to create the first live birth after oocyte spindle transfer to prevent transmission of the mitochondrial disease, Leigh syndrome. read more
The HFEA has approved a licence application for Newcastle University to use mitochondrial donation therapy in treating mitochondrial disease. read more
A baby has been born to a previously infertile couple in Ukraine using pronuclear transfer, a new type of “three-person IVF”. read more
The HFEA decided to permit the clinical use of mitochondrial donation techniques in the UK. read more
Researchers, publishing in the journal Nature, have reported on a study which used mitochondrial donation therapy to replace pathogenic mitochondrial DNA mutations in human ooctyes with mitochondrial DNA from healthy donor eggs. The researchers report the potential of mitochondrial replacement therapy (MRT) to reduce the transfer of mitochondrial disease from mother to child. read more
An independent expert panel, convened by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA), have published their fourth scientific review into the latest evidence on the safety and efficacy of mitochondrial donation techniques, recommending that those techniques be approved for “cautious use” in “specific circumstances”. These comments accompanied a press briefing. read more
After Parliament voted overwhelmingly in favour of allowing mitochondrial donation last year the UK regulatory process for this new treatment has moved on. The Newcastle based scientists ready to offer the treatment have answered more of the scientific questions raised and the HFEA commissioned a fourth independent science panel to review this and other research. Meanwhile stories emerge of babies being born around the world with the same technique but under very different regulatory oversight.
Now this incredible treatment takes a very significant step closer to the clinic as the science review panel delivers its fourth and possibly final report on the state of the science and makes recommendations as to whether it is safe and effective in order to proceed to treating patients.
