A new in-vitro fertilization technique designed to reduce the risk of women passing on hereditary diseases to their children proved promising in a study done by researchers at Britain's Newcastle University in Tyne and Wear.
The technique, called pronuclear transfer, involves intervening in the fertilization process to remove faulty mitochondria capable of causing inherited fatal heart problems, liver failure, brain disorders, blindness and muscular dystrophy.
The treatment is referred to as "three-parent" in vitro fertilization because the babies are born from genetically modified embryos that have DNA from a mother, father and female donor.
Researchers conducted pre-clinical tests involving over 500 eggs from 64 donors and the technique showed potential to greatly reduce the level of faulty mitochondria in the embryo and prevent incurable inherited diseases.
They found no evidence that the technique harms early embryonic development.
Britain's Human Fertilization and Embryology Authority will consider the results of the study to decide whether to issue the first license to a clinic.
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