A groundbreaking breakthrough in three-way IVF treatment in the UK has resulted in the birth of eight babies, none of whom showed any signs of mitochondrial DNA disease.
This disease is passed on from mother to child and affects one in every 5,000 babies globally, often causing life-threatening health issues that can impact various organs such as the heart, muscles, and brain.
The new procedure, announced by the University of Newcastle, involves a technique known as pronuclear transfer. In this process, the nuclear genome—containing the essential genes responsible for a person’s traits such as hair color and height—is transferred from a fertilized egg with a mitochondrial DNA mutation to a donor egg that has had its own nuclear DNA removed.
The trial, conducted with seven women, resulted in the birth of eight babies, including identical twins. All the babies showed either no signs of mitochondrial DNA mutations or only very low levels that were unlikely to cause disease.
“After years of uncertainty, this treatment gave us hope—and then it gave us our baby,” one mother said, overcome with emotion. “We look at them now, full of life and possibility, and we’re overwhelmed with gratitude. Science gave us a chance.”
Australia Hopes to Follow Suit
Approximately 60 babies in Australia are born every year with mitochondrial disease, including conditions that are debilitating and potentially fatal. Moreover, 120,000 Australians carry disease-causing DNA variants that put them at risk of passing the disease to their children.
In 2022, the passage of Maeve’s Law in Australia allowed for mitochondrial donation. The Medical Research Future Fund also provided $15 million in 2023 to fund a pilot program for mitochondrial donation. Australia is now preparing for its own clinical trial, the mitoHOPE Program, which will be the first of its kind in the country to assess the safety and efficacy of mitochondrial donation.
Professor John Carroll, Director of Monash University’s Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Head of mitoHOPE, has expressed optimism, citing the success of the UK study. “We hope to soon obtain our first license from the NHMRC’s Embryo Research Licensing Committee so that we can begin training our IVF embryologists in this procedure,” said Professor Carroll.
“These findings provide real hope for those waiting to access mitochondrial donation in Australia. They shine a light on the path ahead,” Carroll added.
Federal Health Minister Mark Butler also voiced his support for the research, noting the significance of the findings and Australia’s commitment to making mitochondrial donation available to families affected by this devastating disease.
