Britain become the first country in the world to allow a “three-parent” In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) technique. According to the Scientists, this three-parent IVF technique can be used to prevent a range of incurable maladies known as mitochondrial disease.
The treatment is known as “three-parent” IVF, because the babies, born from genetically modified embryos, would have DNA from a mother, a father and from a female donor. The DNA from the second female replaces the egg’s defective mitochondrial DNA. It results in babies with less than 1% of their DNA from the second woman. It is a permanent change that would be passed down the generations.
This treatment is considered as the stopping point for genetic diseases. We all know that Mitochondria is known as the power house of the cell. In this treatment, a faulty mitochondria is removed and it is replaced with the healthy one from another donor. A faulty mitochondria can cause diseases such as fatal heart problems, liver failure, brain disorders, blindness and muscular dystrophy.
The mitochondrial DNA is completely different from the DNA found in the cell nucleus. The former one does not affect human characteristics such as hair or eye colour, appearance or personality traits.
