The Rundown Tech: UK babies born with DNA from 3 people

Posted on July 19, 2025 by michelleclarke2015
 UK babies born with DNA from 3 people
Image source: New Castle University
The Rundown: Eight healthy babies have been born in the UK using mitochondrial donation, a biotech breakthrough that combines DNA from three people to dramatically reduce the risk of children inheriting potentially fatal mitochondrial diseases.
The details:
The procedure, known as mitochondrial replacement therapy (MRT), transfers the parents’ nuclear DNA into a donor egg with healthy mitochondria.Only about 0.1% of a person’s total DNA comes from mitochondria, so the vast majority of the child’s genetic traits are inherited from the parents.This IVF technique is reserved for women at very high risk of passing on severe mitochondrial disease, and candidates are vetted by a regulatory body.The team from Newcastle University published their results in two papers in The New England Journal of Medicine.
Why it matters: The team spent years finessing this technique, lauded as one of medicine’s most ambitious gene-editing pivots. It is a high-wire act in bioengineering — bypassing disease inheritance without altering the nuclear genome — making it ethically and technically distinct from embryo gene editing like CRISPR.
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About michelleclarke2015

Life event that changes all: Horse riding accident in Zimbabwe in 1993, a fractured skull et al including bipolar anxiety, chronic fatigue …. co-morbidities (Nietzche 'He who has the reason why can deal with any how' details my health history from 1993 to date). 17th 2017 August operation for breast cancer (no indications just an appointment came from BreastCheck through the Post). Trinity College Dublin Business Economics and Social Studies (but no degree) 1997-2003; UCD 1997/1998 night classes) essays, projects, writings. Trinity Horizon Programme 1997/98 (Centre for Women Studies Trinity College Dublin/St. Patrick's Foundation (Professor McKeon) EU Horizon funded: research study of 15 women (I was one of this group and it became the cornerstone of my journey to now 2017) over 9 mth period diagnosed with depression and their reintegration into society, with special emphasis on work, arts, further education; Notes from time at Trinity Horizon Project 1997/98; Articles written for Irishhealth.com 2003/2004; St Patricks Foundation monthly lecture notes for a specific period in time; Selection of Poetry including poems written by people I know; Quotations 1998-2017; other writings mainly with theme of social justice under the heading Citizen Journalism Ireland. Letters written to friends about life in Zimbabwe; Family history including Michael Comyn KC, my grandfather, my grandmother's family, the O'Donnellan ffrench Blake-Forsters; Moral wrong: An acrimonious divorce but the real injustice was the Catholic Church granting an annulment – you can read it and make your own judgment, I have mine. Topics I have written about include annual Brain Awareness week, Mashonaland Irish Associataion in Zimbabwe, Suicide (a life sentence to those left behind); Nostalgia: Tara Hill, Co. Meath.
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