An innovative three‑parent IVF technique has resulted in the birth of eight babies.

Three‑Parent IVF Yields Eight Healthy Infants in the UK

British scientists report the birth of eight babies free of mitochondrial disease thanks to an avant‑garde in‑vitro fertilization method that combines DNA from three individuals. The procedure swaps faulty mitochondria in a mother’s egg with healthy ones from a donor, preventing the transmission of rare, often fatal disorders.

How the Technique Works

Most genetic material sits in a cell’s nucleus, but mitochondria—the cell’s energy centers—carry their own DNA. Mutations in that DNA can trigger seizures, muscle failure, organ damage, and early death. In this new approach, clinicians extract nuclear DNA from the mother’s egg or embryo and insert it into a donor egg or embryo stripped of its own nuclear DNA but still containing healthy mitochondria. The resulting embryo carries nuclear DNA from its parents and mitochondrial DNA from the donor, amounting to less than 1 percent of its total genes.

Legal Framework and Global Landscape

After a landmark 2016 law, the United Kingdom became the first country to authorize clinical use of the technique; Australia has since followed suit. The method remains prohibited in many regions, including the United States and Canada.

Study Findings

In the latest New England Journal of Medicine report, specialists from Newcastle University and Monash University applied the procedure to fertilized embryos from 22 patients. Their efforts produced eight children who, at ages ranging from a few months to more than two years, show no signs of mitochondrial disease. One additional pregnancy is ongoing.

Expert Reactions

Dr. Zev Williams of Columbia University, uninvolved in the research, hailed the milestone as an expansion of safe reproductive choices. Dr. Andy Greenfield of the University of Oxford dubbed the work “a triumph of scientific innovation,” while cautioning that it will serve only families for whom conventional embryo testing cannot eliminate risk.

Monitoring and Future Considerations

One infant exhibited slightly elevated levels of abnormal mitochondria—still below the threshold for illness, according to developmental geneticist Robin Lovell‑Badge. Researchers will continue monitoring these children to ensure long‑term safety.

The Broader Impact of Mitochondrial Disorders

Roughly one in 5,000 births involves a mitochondrial mutation, affecting organs such as the brain, heart, and kidneys. Pediatrician Mark Tarnopolsky, who has treated numerous families devastated by these diseases, says the new therapy could offer a lifeline when other options fail.

Perspective on Donor DNA

Lovell‑Badge emphasizes that donor DNA influences only cellular energy production, not physical traits. “A bone‑marrow transplant introduces far more foreign DNA than this procedure,” he notes, underscoring the minimal genetic footprint of the donor mitochondria.