This document discusses a new fertility technique called "three-parent babies" or "early pronuclear transfer" that could help mothers avoid passing on mitochondrial diseases to their children. The technique involves transferring the nucleus of the mother's egg into a donor egg with healthy mitochondria. Recent clinical trials found the technique led to normal pregnancies and embryo development without increasing health risks. While not risk-free, the technique could help reduce the risk of transmitting mitochondrial diseases, which currently affects about 1 in 200 babies in the UK.

1. Three Parent Babies
Will Be Reality Soon
Know How?
By: Happy Ho

2. About “Three-parent babies”
• “Three-parent babies” could soon become a reality
after a controversial fertility treatment against
mitochondrial disease proved safe and successful in
pre-clinical trials. The IVF-based technique, known as
“early pronuclear transfer” was created to help
mothers avoid passing on defective mitochondrial
DNA to their offspring.

3. Contd….
• In the UK, about one in 200 babies develop
mitochondrial disease. Mitochondria are organelles
responsible for creating the energy needed by the
cells to function. They are found in the body of every
living cells, separated from the nucleus which holds
the nuclear DNA – the genetic characteristics
inherited both from the mother and the father.

4. Contd….
• Within the mitochondria, specific mitochondrial DNA
is also found. It is necessary for normal
mitochondrial function, and is defective in children
who have the disease.

5. Contd….
• “Early pronuclear transfer” involves removing the
nucleus of a fertilised egg and transferring it into a
nucleus-free egg from a donor with healthy
mitochondria. The embryo thus inherits the genetic
characteristics of both his parents, while avoiding the
mother’s defective mitochondria.

6. Contd….
• While the method has raised a number of ethical
concerns, the latest study published in the journal
Nature, suggests there should be no worries about
its technical feasibility nor about the risks for
embryos’ safety.

7. Contd….
• Scientists from the Wellcome Trust Centre
for Mitochondrial Disease at Newcastle
University tested the technique, using 500
eggs from 64 donor women. They found that
it led to normal pregnancies and embryo
development, whilst also reducing the risk of
babies having mitochondrial disease.

8. Contd….
• To reach this conclusion, the scientists
analysed thousands of genes in embryo
single cells. They compared them to
embryos born from traditional IVF, detecting
no difference between the two types of
embryos.
• Embryos created through the “early
pronuclear transfer” were also no more
likely to suffer from genetic anomalies, birth
defects, or miscarriage.

9. Contd….
• Three-parent IVF could prevent mothers
passing potentially fatal mitochondrial
diseases to their childrenDoH
Mitochondrial disease risk is reduced

10. Contd….

11. Contd….
• The risk of transmitting mitochondrial DNA
was also greatly reduced, though not
completely, as research on stem cells
derived from the embryos has revealed. In
some cases, defective mitochondrial DNA
still ended up in the embryo, because
residues from the fertilised egg stuck to the
nucleus when it was extracted.

12. Contd….
• The bottom line is that the risk of
transmitting mitochondrial disease through
this technique does exist, but it is much
lower than if people decide to conceive
naturally.
• For families who have been affected by the
disease, it would be a step forward.

13. Contd….

14. Thank You
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