In a major breakthrough in reproductive medicine, eight healthy babies were born in the UK using a pioneering “three‑person” DNA technique designed to prevent life‑threatening mitochondrial disorders.
The process, known as mitochondrial donation treatment, combines the nuclear DNA of both parents with healthy mitochondrial DNA from a donor egg, effectively blocking the transmission of harmful mitochondrial mutations from mother to child.
Early clinical follow‑ups reveal that the babies are thriving and, so far, show no signs of the mitochondrial conditions the treatment aims to prevent. As the first nation to implement this therapy, the UK is now setting a global precedent in genetic interventions, offering new hope for families at risk.
Lately, gene editing has been at the forefront of science's most exciting breakthroughs. This DNA-altering technique could be used to eradicate diseases and improve agricultural production, but some fear this might spark the quest for "designer babies."
So, what exactly is genome editing, and how does it work? Learn more in the following gallery.