Mitochondrial donation could benefit 150 UK women a year, study says

Around 150 women a year in the United Kingdom could benefit from mitochondrial donation if regulations are passed in parliament to allow these new in vitro fertilisation (IVF) techniques, research published in the New England Journal of Medicine has shown.1

Mitochondrial diseases are caused by inherited mutations in the DNA contained in mitochondria. These can range from mild and asymptomatic disorders to serious disorders including some types of muscular dystrophy, Leber hereditary optic neuropathy, and Leigh syndrome. New techniques have been developed that involve removing faulty mitochondria inherited from the mother and replacing them with healthy mitochondria from a donor.

The UK government published …